Three St. Ambrose University biology students earned top awards after presenting their undergraduate research at the 2026 Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium and Beta Beta Beta Honor Society NC-3 District Convention at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The annual symposium and convention bring together undergraduate researchers from colleges and universities across the Midwest to present original research through oral presentations and poster sessions.
Student research recognized
Felicity Emmerich '27 received two of the event's highest honors for her oral presentation, “The relationship between the phases of the female reproductive cycle and susceptibility to respiratory pathogen infection.” She earned the Judge's Choice Award for first place overall in the oral presentation competition, which featured 16 student presenters.
Emmerich also received the Frank G. Brooks Award, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate research presented during an oral session at a Beta Beta Beta district or national meeting.
Alina Maca '26, who is pursuing a Master of Clinical Reproductive Science at Old Dominion University, and Lluvia Garcia '25, OTD ‘28 were also recognized for their collaborative research poster, “Out-of-class engagement and academic performance in an anatomy and physiology course.” Their project earned the Judge's Choice Award for third place overall in the research poster competition, which featured 50 student presentations.
A competitive achievement
Justin Rice, PhD, associate professor of biology at SAU, says the students' success is especially impressive given the caliber of the competition.
“Students from across the Midwest travel to the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium each year to present their work, and our students shone brightly in such a competitive environment,” Rice said.
Rice says Emmerich's oral presentation drew a standing-room-only audience, while Maca and Garcia's poster attracted a constant stream of faculty members and students asking questions about their research.
"Earning such high marks and awards while competing with students who had significant financial and resource advantages speaks to how impressive Felicity, Alina, and Lluvia are," Rice said.
Preparing students for future success
The students conducted their research in collaboration with members of the St. Ambrose biology department before presenting their findings at the regional event in April. Rice said experiences like the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium and Beta Beta Beta Honor Society NC-3 District Convention help prepare students for graduate school and careers by giving them opportunities to present their work to peers and professionals.
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