02-04-2025
Bemidji State students earn honors at 2025 Posters at the Capitol event
Apr. 1—ST. PAUL — Bemidji State University
students found recent success at the 11th annual Posters at the Capitol event in St. Paul with two undergraduate research projects earning Outstanding Conference Poster Awards.
BSU students Olivia Verley and Taysha Curry were recognized for their research,
"Navigating Imposter Syndrome from an Indigenous lens at a Predominately White Institution."
Guided by BSU Professor Sarah Cronin, their project investigated how culturally relevant programming and institutional cultural awareness can help buffer against imposter syndrome.
Verley and Curry's work applied Indigenous theory, including Grande's Red Pedagogy, to examine how centering Indigeneity in campus programming can foster resilience and student success. Using a Consensual Qualitative Research methodology, they conducted semi-structured interviews with American Indian students at a four-year public university.
Preliminary findings highlighted themes of cultural disconnection, the importance of institutional cultural awareness and the role of resilience in student success.
Also recognized for her research was Jasmyn Moore, who received an award for
"The Oppressive Social Determinants Fueling Low Mental Health Among Black Youth in Ramsey County."
Under the direction of Professor Emily Paine, Moore's study applied the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health framework to examine the systemic factors contributing to mental health disparities.
Moore's research categorized these determinants into three areas: structural, socioeconomic and intermediary. Structural determinants include governance and social policies, while socioeconomic factors encompass race, income and education. Intermediary determinants involve material circumstances, psychosocial factors and access to health care.
Moore's project highlighted how these interconnected determinants shape mental health outcomes for Black youth and emphasized the need for targeted interventions in Ramsey County.
Other BSU student research presentations included:
* Robert Mangiamele:
"The Time of Semester as a Confound Variable Leading to Inconsistent Correlational Findings Between Belongingness and Other Variables of Interest"
* Alex Rivera:
"Playing the Medicine Game: Co-Cultural Theory and Indigenous Identity in the Sport of Lacrosse"
* Andrew Rizea:
"Characterization of Bacteriophage Little Ben that Infects Mycobacterium Smegmatis"
* Benjamin Strei:
"The Effect of Zebra Mussels on Minnesota Fish Communities"
