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Twenty-eight Louisiana Tech students had the opportunity to showcase their academic research and service-learning experiences at the Universities of Louisiana Academic Summit.

The UL Summit is a two-day academic conference that includes all nine member institutions within the University of Louisiana System.

The summit offers students an opportunity to share their research and service-learning projects and receive recognition for their hard work.

“To be recognized by not only Louisiana Tech University but also the UL System, is such a huge honor and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to perform research and present my findings,” Spencer Stelly, a senior majoring in Chemistry said. “Having this recognition reinforces the feeling that I am a valued student and that my work is meaningful and worthwhile.”

Stelly presented a year’s worth of research that aims to aid in the removal of harmful and persistent anions in wastewater, providing a means for water purification and environmental remediation.

“It’s very exciting to see Spencer contribute to furthering our general understanding of this topic and for him to be recognized for doing so,” Dr. Elisabeth Fatila, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Molecular Science and Nanotechnology and the faculty advisor over Stelly’s project said.

Stelly was one of 10 students representing Tech in the research poster presentation category of the summit.

Emerson Statom, a senior majoring in Mathematics was one of six students representing Tech in the Research Oral Presentation category of the summit.

“Emerson’s research is in the area of Graph Theory or Network Theory,” Galen Turner, a Professor and Academic Director of Mathematics and Statistics, and the faculty advisor over Statom’s project said. “He is currently exploring what is known as the chromatic polynomial, first introduced by George Birkhoff in 1912 in an attempt to prove what we now know as the Four Color Theorem.”

“It’s nice to have my research recognized,” Statom said. “Math research is often overlooked for more flashy topics, so having the chance to present my work at the UL Summit was a great opportunity.”

Alyssa McReynolds, Heather Nutt, and Cameron Hunter presented their Digital and Content Marketing class project in the service-learning category.

“Our project started out as an audit of a local business’s digital marketing efforts,” Heather Nutt, a senior majoring in Marketing said. “When we learned about the financial position that 4Paws was in we decided to extend the scope of the project and create and implement a full marketing strategy.”

The plan implemented by the team helped 4Paws to raise $15,000 in four months, as well as $300 per month in auto-withdraw donations, which helped 4Paws become financially stable.

“It’s an honor to see my students’ outstanding performance recognized,” Brittany Beck, a doctoral candidate pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, a teaching assistant, and the faculty advisor over the group’s project said. “Heather, Cameron, and Alyssa are excellent representatives of Louisiana Tech University and are exemplary of what can be achieved through service-learning and giving back to the local community.”

This story was written by communication student Brennan Hilliard.