2 UA Students Recognized at Honors Research Conference

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Two students from The University of Alabama Honors College earned awards at the 15th annual University of Alabama System’s Honors Research Conference, held on the University of Alabama Huntsville campus in April.

The conference brings together undergraduate honors students from all three UA Systems campuses to exchange ideas and present research in oral and poster presentations for cash prizes.

Evan Eichstaedt, a sophomore from Huntsville majoring in electrical engineering and physics with minors in math and Computer Based Honors, took first place in the poster presentation category for his entry, “Shareholder Reaction to Director Reputation Incentives.” Dr. Shawn Mobbs, associate professor of finance in the UA Culverhouse College of Commerce, served as Eichstaedt’s faculty mentor. Eichstaedt is a member of the UA STEM path to MBA program, serves as an analyst for the Culverhouse Investment Group and is a leader for the UA EcoCAR 3 team.

Samuel Stanley, a senior from Dayton, Ohio majoring in microbiology, won third place in the oral presentation division for “Investigation of dopamine neuron degeneration as a consequence of microbiome-derived bacteria.” His research was mentored by Dr. Kim Caldwell, professor of biological sciences at UA. Stanley, who is an undergraduate researcher and the webmaster for the Caldwell laboratory at UA, recently won a Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, and his neurodegenerative disease research has garnered a number of grants and funding packages.