2025 FNR Poster Competition
Annually FNR holds a judged poster competition on the second Friday of April. During the event, undergraduate and graduate students present posters on their research and extension activities. This event for 2025 will be held on April 11. Cash prizes are awarded to the top posters in 1) undergraduate research, 2) undergraduate extension, 3) graduate research and 4) graduate extension.
For the 2024 year, undergraduate and graduate students entered posters in the FNR Poster Competition on April 12, 2024. Thank you to all of the entrants, judges and attendees for making it a successful event.
For more information on the FNR Poster Competition, please contact the faculty leads: Dr. Mo Zhou and Dr. Rado Gazo. ADA-accessible PDFs of winning posters for this and previous FNR Poster Competitions are available by visiting Purdue Libraries at FNR Annual Poster Competition.
*Please note that all information presented in these research posters is based on preliminary analyses and should not be cited until the full work has been published in a scientific peer-reviewed article.
2024 Poster Competition
Undergraduate Research Placing
Johnathan Shimizu
Undergraduate 1st Place Winner
Title: Effects of Prescribed Fire on Timber Quality in Central Hardwood Forest
Alex Dudley
Undergraduate 2nd Place WinnerTitle: Resource Pulses from Deer Hunting Impact Black Vulture Home Ranges
Kiara A. Taylor
Undergraduate 3rd Place WinnerTitle: Exploring Diet Composition of Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens) in Lake Michigan and Tributary Habitats
Kathryn E. Buckles
Undergraduate Honorable MentionTitle: Abundance and Growth Rates of Yellow Perch, Perca Flavescens, From Lake Michigan and Connected Tributary Habitats
Katie Hong
Undergraduate Honorable MentionTitle: Does Mammal Species Diversity in a Gradient of Habitat Features Predict Bobcat Presence in the Central Till Plains?
Graduate Extension Placing
Francis Asare
Graduate Extension 1st Place WinnerTitle: Developing Sustainable Biochar Markets: Strategies, Opportunities, and Challenges in Ghana
Graduate Research Placings
Spencer T. Gardner
Graduate Research 1st Place WinnerTitle: Climate-Influenced Phenology of Larval Fish Transport in a Large Lake
Jean Fritz Saint Preux Senior and Bindu Paudel
Graduate Research 2nd Place WinnerTitle: Purchase Drivers of Maple Syrup: An Economic Analysis of Indiana's Consumers
Sarah E. Grimes
Graduate Research 3rd Place WinnerTitle: Using Acoustics to Model Bachman Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis) Occupancy in Central Florida
Yunmei Huang
Graduate Research Honorable MentionTitle: Automatic Tree Species Identification Adaptation with Images and AI Models
Ruth S. Bowers-Sword
Graduate Research Honorable MentionTitle: Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Primate Population Assessments: A Case Study of the Endangered Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii) and Implications for Non-Intrusive Wildlife Monitoring and Conservation
Past Winners & More Awards
Undergraduate Winner
1st Place:
Elucidating Factors Affecting Yellow Perch Recruitment in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron
Authors: Greenley Goedde, Spencer Gardner, Justin Meyer, Andrew Briggs, David Fielder, Paris Collingsworth, and Tomas Hook
Graduate Research Winners
1st Place:
Major Wood Segmentation in Forest Point Clouds with Normalized Intensity
Authors: Jinyuan Shao, Yi-Ting Cheng, Yerassyl Koshan, Raja Manish, Ayman Habib and Songlin Fei
2nd Place:
Underplanted White Oak (Quercus alba L.) Seedling Responses to Light and Competition Gradients
Author: Elias Gaffney and Mike Saunders
Third Place:
Spatially and Temporally Heterogeneous Trends in Chlorophyll-a in Lake Superior from 2014-2018
Authors: Alex Fields, Tomas Hook, and Paris Collingsworth
Honorable Mentions:
Enhancing Wood Color with Surface Thermal Treatment and Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Jue Mo, Dipesh Tamboli and Eva Haviarova
Coupled Climate, Hydrodynamic, Biogeochemical and Bioenergetic Models to Aid Understanding of Larval Dynamics and Recruitment in Lake Michigan
Authors: Spencer Gardner, Peter Alsip, David Bunnell, Paris Collingsworth, Mark Rowe, Edward Rutherford, Pengfei Xue, Xing Zhou, and Tomas Hook
Graduate Extension Winners
1st Place:
Biochar Research Communications and Strategies: A Guide to the Sustainable Adoption of Three Kiln Technologies
Authors: Francis Asare, Rado Gazo, and Francis Owusu
Undergraduate Winner
1st Place:
Effect of Density on Growth Rates of Captive Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis)
Authors: Summer Brown, Shelby Royal, Nick Burgmeier, Dr. Rod Williams
Poster Abstract
Graduate Research Winners
1st Place:
Resistance Against Walnut Twig Beetle (Pityophthorus Juglandis) in Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra)
Authors: Scott Gula, Dr. John Couture, Dr. Matthew Ginzel
Poster Abstract
2nd Place (Tied):
Effects of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) on Amphibian Body Condition: Is Altered Lipid Metabolism The Driver?
Authors: Anna Bushong, Tyler Hoskins, Dr. Maria Sepulveda
Poster Abstract
A Post Establishment Analysis of Various Thinning Decisions for Black Walnut Plantations
Authors: Sayon Ghosh, Dr. Mike Saunders, Jim Warren, Lenny Farlee, Liz Jackson, Dr. Jingjing Liang, Dr. Mo Zhou
Poster Abstract
Honorable Mentions:
Forests Migrated Faster Than Trees Across North America
Authors: Akane Abbasi, Christopher Woodall, Javier Gamarra, Cang Hui, Nicolas Picard, Thomas Ochuodho, Sergio de-Miguel, Rajeev Sahay, Dr. Songlin Fei, Alain Paquette, Han Chen, Y Han, Ann Catlin, Dr. Jingjing Liang
Poster Abstract
Is Toxicity of Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid Mediated by Salinity in Estuarine Larvae and Embryos?
Authors: Meredith Scherer, Lucy Burcham, Grace Coogan, Anna Bushong, Matthew Hamilton, Sini Machery, Elizabeth Allmon, Dr. Maria Sepulveda, Tyler Hoskins
Poster Abstract
Graduate Extension Winners
1st Place:
Promoting The Use of Advanced Technologies for Sustainable Charcoal and Biochar Production in Developing Countries
Authors: Francis Asare, Dr. Rado Gazo, Dr. Eva Haviarova, Francis Owusu
Poster Abstract
Undergraduate Winner
1st Place:
Stable Isotope Analysis Can Monitor the General Health of Mussel Populations
Authors: Alexander Hicks, Nancy Boedeker, Brant Fisher, Casey Maynard, Elizabeth Flaherty
Poster Abstract
Graduate Research Winners
1st Place:
Oil Induced Cardiac Effects in Embryonic Sheepshead Minnows, Cyprinodon variegatus
Authors: Elizabeth Allmon, Grace Walker, Robert Griffit, Maria Sepúlveda
Poster Abstract
2nd Place:
Hyperspectral Analysis of Tree Foliar Chemical and Physiological Responses to Abiotic and Biotic Stress
Authors: Sylvia Park, Lorenzo Cotrozzi, Geoffrey Williams, Mathew Ginzel, Michael Mickelbart, Douglass Jacobs, John Couture
Poster Abstract
3rd Place:
Wood Moisture Content Predicts the Fate of Juglans nigra Threatened by Thousand Cankers Disease
Authors: Geoffrey Williams, Mathew Ginzel
Poster Abstract
Honorable Mentions:
Effects of Prescribed Fire on Mycorrhizal Fungi Abundance and Diversity
Authors: Sarah Cuprewich, Mike Saunders
Poster Abstract
The Self-Pollination of Amur Honeysuckle
Authors: Benjamin Rivera, Micheal Jenkins, Rick Meilan
Poster Abstract
Graduate Extension Winners
1st Place:
Hardwood CLT Product Development and Fabrication
Authors: Jue Mo, Eva Haviarova
Poster Abstract
Visit the Purdue Library to view ADA-accessible PDFs of winning posters along with previous FNR poster competitions, FNR Annual Poster Competition.
View more awards: FNR Awards.