Academic and Research Fair


Columbia: March 20 - 24
Williamson: March 27 - April 1

Presentations are sought for the Spring Academic and Research Fair. The presentations should be based upon projects or research work done at Columbia State Community College in the Spring 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters (submissions from Spring 2023 should be complete by spring break).

This competition is sponsored by the Honors Program. There will be three divisions, one for Humanities and Social Sciences, one for STM, and one Health Sciences. There will be the following cash prizes for the presentations, and the values will be awarded to the principal investigator (PI). These prizes will be awarded to each division-winning PIs:

  1. $100 for First Place
  2. $50 for Second Place
  3. $25 for Third Place

Should there be fewer than 4 projects submitted in any division, the judges will evaluate the merit of the project and consider the appropriate amount of money to be awarded.

The fair is open to all students. Any presentation submitted should be based upon work complete at Columbia State, not any other school. The optimal presentation would be based upon work that earned an A or a B when originally submitted. 

Below are the criteria for student projects:

  • Projects should articulate an argument made by the student in support of an idea or theory.
  • Projects should have a research focus. This could take the form of:
    • Collecting data via experimentation and drawing a conclusion from this data, with possible reference to other studies. (STM)
    • Analyzing source material and previous studies in the area in order that the student may produce an articulated argument; we should be able to hear the student’s individual voice in the work. (HASS)
    • Participation in an activity with comparative components to previous literature and prior understanding of a given topic. This should work toward producing a synthesis of data and experience. 
  • All projects should show indications of critical thinking and engagement with the topic that goes beyond the superficial.
  • Students should be able to deliver salient points of what they did and how they did it, with the ability to expand those answers beyond what appears on the poster board.

If you are interested in entering the fair competition, please email Dr. Duch at aduch@ColumbiaState.edu or Dr. Eivazova at eeivazova@ColumbiaState.edu a spot can be reserved for you.

Congratulations to the Winners of the Fall 2022 Fair

STEM Division

  • First Prize:  Miriam Galindo -- “Commonalities of tRNA present in Cluster A mycobacteriophage genomes and their effects on M. tuberculosis infection”

  • Second Prize:  Michaela Taylor  -- “Regeneration and Regenerative Medicine”

  • Third Prize:  Jaeden Kennedy -- “Dewormer Resistance in Goats”

HS Division

  • First Prize:  Leslie Ezelle “Plant-based Diet and Cancer”

  • Second Prize:  Heather Smart “How Social Media Use Can Impact Our Mental Health”

  • Third Prize:  Abby Suh McLallin “The Importance of the Timeout before Surgical & Non-surgical Procedures”