The 2026 University of New Mexico McNair Scholars Research Conference

Oral Presentation Session #9, 2:15 to 2:35 p.m.
-----Scroll to the bottom to view abstracts in the Sched App or PDF----
Presentations:
Aiello, Angelina - Major: Pre-Health Biomedical Sciences, University of Northern Colorado
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Lobo B
Title: Investigating Dendritic Spine Plasticity and Drebrin Localization Following Chronic Fluoxetine Treatment in Adolescent Mice

Avila, Alfredo - Major: Nursing & Biology Minor, West Texas A&M University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Isleta
Title: Investigation of dust storm particulate pollution episodes in the Texas Panhandle during March 2025

Carter, Preston - Major: Mathematics, University of New Mexico
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Lobo A
Title: Weighted General Chebyshev Polynomials

Dunakin, Katrina - Major: Social Work, Our Lady of the Lake University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Fiesta B
Title: The Importance of Incorporating Self-Care Education in the Social Work Curriculum

Edwards, Trinity - Major: Rangeland Resource Science and Management , California State Polytechnic University Humboldt
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Trailblazer/Spirit
Title: Comparing Responses of California Annual and Perennial Grasses Under Simulated Grazing and Extreme Drought

Gootee, Angie - Major: Cognitive Neuroscience, Harding University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Luminaria
Title: Effects of Generation Status and Parent Education Level On Imposter Phenomenon in Undergraduate Students

Hernandez, Julianna - Major: Cultural Anthropology, New Mexico State University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Santa Ana B
Title: Leaving Children Behind

House, Kiara  - Major: Psychology, Washington State University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Santa Ana A
Title: Gendered Constructions of Responses to Sexual Abuse

Lambert, Sarah  - Major: Computer Science, Concord University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Acoma B
Title: Digital Resilience Within Library Institutions

Navarrete, Paige - Major: Natural Resources - Wildlife Conservation & Management, University of Arizona
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Acoma A
Title: Influences of Climate on an Endangered Squirrel Population and Food Availability in the Southwest United States

Rodriguez, Briana - Major: Psychology , Our lady of the Lake University
Oral Presentation Session #9, Room: Fiesta A
Title: Examining the Relationship between Parent Martial Status and Factors of Self-Efficacy and Resiliency

Oral Presentation Information for presenters:

• Format: 12-minute presentation, and 3 minutes for Q&A (15 min. total).  Please do not go over your allotted time so that everyone can have a full 15 minutes.
• Organization of presentations:  To enhance your presentation experience at our conference, there will be evaluators and moderators (faculty, staff and grad students) in attendance that will fill out evaluation forms to provide feedback to presenters. Therefore, your presentation will be at the exact time and location as it appears in the schedule. We will not deviate even if there is a no-show.
• Please bring your presentation saved onto a thumb drive/USB drive.  Please arrive at your presentation room early, locate the moderator and ask them to assist you in copying your presentation to the laptop desktop before the session begins.  Then eject your USB drive.  Open up your presentation and make sure it works properly.
• For more information about presentation format, equipment, etc click this link