University Libraries highlights awardees of the 2025 Student Expo

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, students, staff, faculty and the OHIO community came together to learn more about the 花季传媒 Student Research and Creative Activity Expo. Held in Walter Fieldhouse, the attendees were also able to observe some of the best undergraduate and graduate work that OHIO students are doing to further their knowledge and better the world.

Participants had the opportunity to present their projects at the Expo for monetary awards and other prizes, and University Libraries was pleased to have used the Vernon R. and Marion Alden Endowment fund to support seven of its annual awards. The student recipients include two undergraduates: Catherine Galla and Cayla Otto; three student employees from the Libraries: Taylor Payne, Olivia Ondrik and Mimi Calhoun; and two graduates: Ellie Becklund and Ijeoma Idika-Chima.

Winners of the endowment are individuals who utilized a variety of the Libraries’ resources in relationship to their research or creative Expo projects. Learn more about the awardees and their impressive work below:

First Place Undergraduate Awardee: Catherine Galla

Catherine Galla, a senior studying environmental science, won first place in the undergraduate category. Her work titled, “From Waste to Resource: Analyzing Compost in Soil Revitalization in Northeast Ohio,” focused on climate mitigation strategies in order to reduce organic materials sent to landfills. The Libraries’ literary resources were a key part in her research endeavors.

Second Place Undergraduate Awardee: Cayla Otto 

Cayla Otto, a sophomore studying environmental science, was the second-place recipient for the undergraduate category for her work on, “Persistence: Sustaining the History of the Athens Insane Asylum with Land-conscious Artwork.” The project highlights making timely and appropriate changes to demystify as well as destigmatize the Asylum and its patients through sustainable artwork. Otto utilized the Libraries’ Archives for image references.

First Place University Libraries Student Employee Awardees: Taylor Payne and Olivia Ondrik

Taylor Payne, a junior studying creative writing, and Olivia Ondrik, a sophomore studying studio art, both received the first-place award for their joint work. Their project, “Out and Proud: The Origin and Evolution of 花季传媒's Pride Movement,” is meant to showcase the history of the LGBTQ+ community at OHIO while utilizing University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections materials such as newspapers and flyers. The two worked closely with the Libraries staff to create the digital exhibit about the topic. 

Second Place University Libraries Student Employee Awardee: Mimi Calhoun

Mimi Calhoun, a senior studying journalism, placed second in the student employee category for her professional project, “Finding “身份” (Shēnfèn/Identity): Exploring the Effects of China’s One-Child Policy on Adopted Asian American Women.” The work focused on the nearly 40-year policy, and how it has impacted the children involved. She utilized the Libraries’ OhioLINK and Interlibrary Loan for source materials as well as the physical spaces of the Alden Library to do her research.

First Place Graduate Awardee: Ellie Becklund 

Ellie Becklund, a master’s student studying plant biology, won first place in the graduate category. “Never Overwatered: How Aquatic Legumes Evolved and Reached Pantropical Distributions,” was her project on the evolution processes that shape the Earth’s biodiversity. She specifically mentioned the help of the Libraries’ Andrew Stuart, assistant head of User Services and subject librarian for life and physical sciences, for his assistance with valuable resources and databases like ArticlesPlus and JSTOR that contributed to her work.

Second Place Graduate Awardee: Ijeoma Idika-Chima

Ijeoma Idika-Chima, a master’s student studying social work, was the second-place recipient for the project, “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Intervention Addressing Anxiety Levels among College Students in a Midwestern University in the United States: An Effectiveness Study.” The study features the impact of generalized anxiety disorder among college students and how it affects academic performance, social interactions and general wellness, among other things. Idika-Chima mentioned that SAGE collections and videos from Psychotherapy.net along with subject librarians enhanced the quality of her work.

Note: University Libraries is displaying copies of the Expo posters referenced above on two digital screens in the lobby of Alden Library’s  third floor between CoLab and room 318 to elevate the visibility of the 2025 awardees of the Student Research and Creative Activity Expo. Student posters can also be viewed in the .