Awards - High Impact Practices (HIP) Hub

The UCF Amy Zeh High-Impact Practices Course Designation Student Showcase honors the memory and dedication of Amy Zeh, who served as the Assistant Director of Service-Learning from 2006 to 2019. The HIP Course Designation Student Showcase is held during the fall and spring semesters and provides an opportunity for students to share individual or team HIP-designated course projects from Service-Learning, Research Intensive, Integrative-Learning Experience or Global Learning courses with the UCF community. Students can participate virtually, in person or in both formats.

The virtual showcase offers awards in four categories: Service-Learning (SL), Research Intensive (RI), Integrative-Learning Experience (IE) and Global Learning (GL). For the in-person showcase, presentations will not be formally judged. However, event attendees, including students, will vote on the presentations; those with the most votes receive a People’s Choice Award.

Award Winners

Judges’ Choice

Service Learning Winner

Sophia de la Cruz, Jacob Decker, John Mcmahon, Nicolas Oksman, Ezekiel Ramirez Guzman, Funding the Future of Education – The Development of Innovative Options for Title I Schooling

Lauren Fitzsimmons, Ann Reichle, Noshi Kapoor, Sara Wise, Robin O’Meallie, Greg Zboch, Bryce Fable, Change Through Social Media: Sparking Wildlife Conservation One Click at a Time

Service Learning Runner Up

Cori McWilliams, Christopher Poulios, Lagoon Lessons: Where Science Meets Service-Learning

Service Learning Third Place

Antonia Ferguson, The World Is My Oyster: Restoring Nature, Inspiring Minds

Aashna Shah, Healing with Hope: Expanding Access to All

Parker R Breeze, From Microplastics to Mangroves: My Journey Through Environmental Service

Service Learning Honorable Mentions

Valerie Pompee, Thomas Blais, Wendy Davis, Lincoln Lynch, S.O.A.R.: Stomp-powered Orbital Air Rockets

Jay Canino-Gol , U.N. Sustainability Goal 15: Supporting Wildlife Conservation Locally

Integrative Learning Experience Winners

Sofia Lahsaini, Screening and Risk assessment of Cholesterol (HLD) in healthcare

Nikko Zamora, Aisha Khurshid, Bailey McLain, Devrim Yalcindag, Michael Ortiz, Home-Based Exercise Program for Recovery After TAVR

Research-Intensive Winner

Orina Thomas, From Weight to Risk: Understanding Obesity’s Role in Diabetes Mortality s

Student Government Audience Awards

(In-Person Event on November 20th)

First Place

Nicholas Groves, Danielle Cora (Service Learning), Ocean Adventures: Exploring Stingrays with Young Learners

Runner Up

Ann Mary Thomas (Research Intensive), East of Anacostia: A Tale of Systemic Inequities and Health Disparities in Washington D.C.

Third Place

Wade Cornell, Hudson Deppen, Connor Kazmierski, Gilberto Jimenez Perez (Integrative Learning Experience),  Trade-off Between Surface Area and Aerodynamic Drag in Solar Electric Vehicle Design

Sualba Alejandro, Victoria Drovilus, Valerie Block, Angelina Salort-Carrero, Dylan Fox, (Integrative Learning Experience), Intensity-Modulated Pelvic Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients in Endometrial Cancer

Honorable Mentions

Emily Timotic (Service Learning), From Peers to Partners

Angelina Fasolo, Mitchel Woodrow, Sarah Burbank, Thalia Dittman, Michael McKnight, Kayla Buchholz (Service Learning), Paws on Board: Transporting Dogs from Shelters to New Homes

Chloe Lowman, Mia Sims (Service Learning), Diving Deep: Inspiring Young Scientists Through Ocean Exploration

Artemis Zi (Research Intensive), The Strength of Association between Elevated Levels of Cholesterol and Mortality of Coronary Heart Disease

Ryan Baxter, Samantha Maiorino, Leah Lascano (Service Learning), Preserving the Rights and Quality of National Parks Against the Commercialization of Natural Areas

Judges’ Choice

Best in Show Winner

Research-Intensive: Andrea Silva, Jean Corraliza, Alejandro Mendiola and Sarah Velez-Osorio, / Linear Regression Analysis of the Impact of Lifestyle Factors on Academic Performance: A Study of Students in India and Southeast Asia

Service Learning Winner

Eric Kallas, Gabriel Cordero Arrieche, Quinn Fitzgibbons, Julissa Medina, Karl Johnson, John McMahon, A Look at the Creative School for Children

Angelina Fasolo, Kayla Buchholz, Bryanna Sparks, Mitchel Woodrow, Magdalina Goranova and Mariangie Sangiovanni, Pawsitively Making a Difference: A Cultural Audit of Save A Life Pet Rescue

Sophia De La Cruz, Robert Spina, Avalyn Blakley, Amanda Nunez-Ferreira, Emily Silva, Nikhita Sridhar, Crafting Cards for Illness Warriors

Service Learning Third Place

Beatrix Alerte, Shaping Future Leaders: Empowering Youth to Discover Strengths and Become Resourceful Changemakers

Integrative Learning Experience Winner

Lillian Nguyen, Linda Canales, Caitlin Kelly, Effect of Cequa in Subjects with Dry Eye Disease

Research-Intensive Winner

Griffin Seel, Mari Arroyave, Jack Griffin, James Murphy, The Relationship between the US Stock Market and Energy Commodities

Research-Intensive Runner-Up

Ahmed Abdalla & Jemimah Olajide, GABA and Dopamine Dual Therapy: A Potential Treatment for A549 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Research-Intensive Third Place

Autumn Johnson, The association between Alzheimer’s disease burden and hospitalization rates in older adults

Steven Dimitrakakis, Correlation Between Physical Inactivity and Mortality due to Alzheimer’s Disease in ages 65 and up

Student Government Audience Awards

(In-Person Event on April 16th)

First Place

Lindsay Dolan et al. (Research Intensive), Between a Rock and a Wet Place: analyzing Mangrove Expansion on Intertidal Oyster Reefs

Runners Up

Leticia Pinheiro De Abreu & Ann Mary Thomas (Service-Learning), Guiding and Growing: An Analysis of the Dual Impact of Peer Mentorship on Campus

Bradley Rouleau, Isabelle Fowler & Eryn Wioncek (Research Intensive), An Experimental Archaeological Approach to Pre-historic and Historic Recipes using Zamia sp.

Third Place

Jocelyn Hernandez (Service-Learning),  Cerrando la Brecha con el Español: Serving Orlando’s Uninsured at American Muslim Community Clinics

Lily Cring et al. (Global Learning), Global Learning Project: Vietnam Women’s Academy

Judges’ Choice

Best in Show Winner

Zephaniahn Torres (Service Learning), Love Serving Autism ($700)

Service-Learning First Place (3-way tie)

Lauralee Fuher; Serving in Salt Company UCF

Sierra Hajek; Serving Virtually: The Impact of Online Organizations

Timothy Biscay, Cairo Molina, Mako Rosario, & Nadia Difre; The Coral Connection: How Today’s Children Shape Tomorrow’s Oceans

Service-Learning Second Place

Ryan Kaufman, Nolan Loch, Kim Nguyen, Katie Weinstock, Parnika Chintapalli; Reforming Public Institutions to Ensure Fairness & Opportunity

Service-Learning Third Place (2-way tie)

Piper Sunvold, Giving Grace through Goods and Grace

Andrew Nazario, Jesse Cohen, Cameron Weeks, Ray Esteves, Kaitlin Stallings; Save a Life: Helping One Puppy at a Time!

Research-Intensive First Place

Victoria Sulaman & Victoria Woodcock; HBA ½ mRNA Expression in UV Exposed Melanoma Cells

Research-Intensive Second Place

Stefani Henriques; Examining Narrative for Consumer Culture Critiques

Research-Intensive Third place:

Hector Mejia; How the Use of a YouTuber’s Rhetorical Choices Affect Their Brand Over Time

Integrative-Learning Experience/Global Learning First Place:

Taylor Davis (Integrative Learning Experience), Taylor Davis’s ePortfolio ($500)

Integrative-Learning Experience/Global Learning Second Place:

Megan Rhodes (Integrative Learning Experience), Pathways to Potential: Guiding Middle School Students Through Career Exploration ($300)

Integrative-Learning Experience/Global Learning Third Place:

Kazi Salsabil (Global Learning), History of Injustices and the Current Interim Government Actions in Bangladesh

Student Government Audience Awards

First Place: Brianna Guinigundo, Study Abroad South Africa Sustainability ($700)

Second Place: Carolina Souza, Janelle Seefelt, Jordyn Delikat, Brianna Rendon, Beyond Fear: Inspiring Students to Appreciate Sharks and Understand their Role in the Ocean ($400)

Judges’ Choice

Service Learning Winner

Myarisnette Vega Sepulpeda: Do General Chemistry Laboratory Really Matters?

Service Learning Runner-Up

Grayson Spillman, Juliana Baez & Emily Davila.: What, like it’s hard? (It is if you don’t have the right foundation!)

Service Learning Leadership Winner

Lucas M. Califano, Ericka Gordon, Jordyn Zawatsky, Luis Lecini & Robert Knight: Homelessness and Hunger: In Collaboration with Soldiers Angels and Free Rice

Integrative Learning Experience Winner

Lily Cring, Olivia Skvarenina, Brianna Phillips, Rachel Blank & Joshua Carrizales: Social Media in Schools

Research-Intensive Winner

Griffon G. Binkowski & Channing Cook: Comparative Analysis of Metric and Non-metric Ancestry Estimation Methods of Maya Individuals

Research-Intensive Runner-Up

Haily Follese & Aishlin Belony: Effect of Grammatical Accuracy and Content Accuracy on Eyewitness Message Credibility

Student Government Audience Awards

(In-Person Event of April 16th)

Service Learning

Benjamin F. Cherkasskiy, Kira Garvey & Abigail David: CHM2045C: The Hurdle

Research-Intensive (2 In-Person Projects)

Amberson Rogerson et al: March of the Mangroves: Tropicalization Impacts on Mosquito Lagoon Oyerster Reefs. (20 students in project)

Rachel Martella, Lucas Vivas, Dani Andrews, Heriberto Peña & Mumtahina Riza: Effect of Grammatical Accuracy and Content Accuracy on Eyewitness Message Credibility