Islander Students Present Exemplary Research at Pathways Student Research Symposium

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Many Islander students welcome the opportunity to showcase their academic excellence beyond the classroom. They also display their merit away from campus – a fact exemplified by a group of Islanders who left home and traveled to West Texas A&M University to participate in the 15th annual Pathways Student Research Symposium. This symposium is open to all Texas A&M system students with separate categories for undergraduate, master, and doctoral level research.

Of the 14 students Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi sent to the symposium based on their high-level research, three placed first or second in their divisions.

“It was a true honor to place in this competition,” said Julie Dell’Aquila, a doctoral candidate in the counselor education program. “The caliber of students presenting was very high. It was inspiring and enlightening to be able to participate in this symposium because it was an opportunity to be exposed to research taking place outside Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.”

These winners included:

• Dell’Aquila won second place in the doctoral category for her research titled, “Effectiveness of Integrated Primary and Behavioral Healthcare for Treating Mental Health Symptoms.”
• Amelia Hill, master’s of public administration student, won first place in the humanities and social science category for her presentation of her capstone project, which was a needs assessment for the Corpus Christi Public Library.
• Angela Smith, senior clinical laboratory science major with a chemistry minor, won first place in the life science category for her research in developing a new method for culturing salmonella, which she conducted during a summer internship with the National Institutes of Health.

“If there is one piece of advice I can give to other undergraduates, it’s to seek out research opportunities,” said Smith. “There are countless opportunities available for undergraduates, and the real-world experience and mentorship you gain are priceless.”