Science, history, criminal justice, nursing, and art were all represented as sixteen students delivered oral presentations and 68 individuals and class groups showcased their research through posters at the 16th Annual Barsy-Colgan Student Research Day. The event took place on April 18 in the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics, and Technology auditorium, with posters displayed throughout the day on two floors of the John Stewart Memorial Library. Students were available to answer questions during a midday poster session.
Student researchers shared information throughout the day on a wide variety of topics. Morning presentations included honors research on discrimination among college students, the impact of message framing on consumer purchases, the story of the Susquehannock Indians, anti-anxiety cat therapies, depressive disorder treatment, parasitic infections, and fungal infections. The afternoon session covered studies on krill decline, sustainable agriculture, environmental resilience in manufacturing, stream monitoring in the Conococheague Creek, assessing mastitis diagnostic tools, and drunkorexia among college students. The day concluded with Hailey
Steele ’25, the 2025 Margaret Criswell Disert Honors Scholar, presenting her research regarding the impact of synthetic red dye 40 on colon cancer cells (see more about Steele’s research on page 20). All projects were guided by faculty advisers.
The Barsy-Colgan Student Research Day is supported by Louise Barsy Colgan ’80 and her husband Sean. Their generous philanthropy supports student academic research and ensures this important Wilson event continues. Each year, students may apply for grants for research they intend to complete in their senior year for presentation on Student Research Day. Louise and Sean have endowed those grants in honor of Louise and her mother, Helen Yeager “HiY” Barsy ’44.
Wilson Seniors Shine in Science
Five Wilson seniors presented their research at this year’s annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PAS), held April 11-13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa.
Wilson’s senior presenters: (l to r) Cassidy Sowers, Judi Wolf, Hailey Steele, Kylie Wright, and Adrián Lugo.
Kylie Wright
“Assessing the correlation between California Mastitis Test results and somatic cell counts in caprine milk.”
Advisers: Deborah Austin, Ph.D., and Sherri Buerdsell, Ph.D.
Judi Wolf
“The effects of lipid synthesis inhibitor ND-630 on fungal species Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, and
Cryptococcus neoformans in comparison to fluconazole.”
Advisers: Kathryn Sarachan, Ph.D., and Amber Marble, Ph.D.
Cassidy Sowers
“Influence of anthelmintic medications on the aerobic bacterial populations of the equid gastrointestinal tract microbiome.”
Advisers: Amber Marble, Ph.D., and Sherri Buerdsell, Ph.D.
Adrián Lugo
“The effects of serotonin transporter gene variations on major depressive disorder treatment and anxiety.”
Advisers: Amber Marble, Ph.D., and Deborah Austin, Ph.D.
Hailey Steele
“The cytotoxicity of synthetic dye; Red 40 and its metabolites cresidine-4-sulfonate and 1-amino-2-naphthol-sulfonic acid on the Caco-2 human colon cell line.”
Advisers: Kathryn Sarachan, Ph.D., Amber Marble, Ph.D., and Sherri Buerdsell, Ph.D.
PAS Award Winners were (left) Acadia Banis ’26 and (right) Hailey Steele ’25. Banis received a PAS Undergraduate Research Grant for her work with her adviser Amber Marble, Ph.D., titled “A Systematic Comparison of Traditional Veterinary-grade Topical Tick Preventions Versus Holistic Topical Tick Repellants for Canines.” Steele took Third Place in the PAS Spychala Student Presentation Awards for her oral presentation.
