Alabama State University students did a sweep at a virtual STEM symposium, and we couldn’t be prouder! Learn more about the HBCU’s stellar performance at the 2022 Research Frontier Symposium in the ASU release below.

Students at Alabama State University won the lion’s share of awards given at this year’s annual 2022 Research Frontier Symposium, which was held virtually at ASU. The symposium is a well-respected national event that highlights academic research with a concentration on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, with a broader National Science Foundation definition to include chemistry, computer and information technology science, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, physics, astronomy, social sciences, anthropology, economics, psychology and sociology.

Among the 10 national awards presented to winners at the symposium, ASU won half of them with six of its students winning the top honors. All contestants competed in two event categories, which were oral and poster presentation formats. The ASU awardees for oral presentations were Kiersten McCalpine and Kelci Lawrence. ASU winners in the poster presentations were Vanella Tadjuidje, Corrigan Murry and Asia Turner (joint team); and Jordan-Haley McWilliams. 

The 2022 event’s theme was “Innovation in STEM Research.” 

Among the other winners were Christopher J. Gisriel (Yale University), Stephanie Monge (Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica), and Atindrah Harishankar, who attends Montgomery’s LAMP High School. 

ASU’s Dr. Harvey Hou, the founder of this well-respected scientific event, and a professor of Forensic Science at the University, explained that the students who competed are from schools located across the United States and abroad. 

“We are very proud that so many of the University’s students did so well at the science symposium,” said Hou, from his laboratory of Forensic Analysis and Photosynthesis. “This reflects well, both on the ASU students who won, as well as on the school’s faculty who teach them and on the strong STEM program that the University’s leadership supports and encourages.”