Students Receive Awards for Research at SEARCH Symposium

April 24, 2023

In April, the annual SEARCH Symposium and competition showcased student research in the Shaw Collaborative Learning Center to celebrate innovative ideas in art and research through conversation across the liberal arts. The event invited students and faculty of every major and level of experience to come together for learning and discovery.

“SEARCH is a collection of activities on campus that cultivates, showcases, and celebrates the social practice of exploring, learning, exercising skills, and applying knowledge,” said Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sherry Powers. “SEARCH spotlights Asbury University’s commitment to a Christian liberal arts education that crosses disciplinary boundaries and recognizes the interconnectedness of all dimensions of our lives.”

Lillie Lewis ’23 received the SEARCH Symposium Student Scholar of Excellence, for her paper, “Expression of CD56, CD16, and CD19 in Whole Blood Cells of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease,” with faculty-sponsor Dr. Bruce Branan. The prize included $1,000 cash, an award certificate, and an object of art.

Two students received the Student Scholar of Excellence in the Humanities award, which included a $500 prize: Willem Hanssen ’24 for his paper, “On Morally Evaluating Videogame Actions,” with his faculty-sponsor Dr. Sydney Penner and Isaiah Friedeman ’23 for his paper, “The Crossroads at Salem: Type, Antitype, and Other Signs,” with his faculty-sponsor Dr. Brian Shelton.

“I am extremely honored to receive this award,” Lewis said. “The SEARCH program’s emphasis on intellectual imagination, cultivation, and collaboration is deeply reflective of the experience I have had at Asbury. My research will hopefully lead to the discovery of a biomarker for kidney transplant rejection.”

Professor of Chemistry Dr. Bruce Branan expressed his support as Lewis’ advisor for the past four years.

“Lillie reflects Christ well as a consistently positive person, quick to smile and offer encouragement to others,” he said. “Our school recommended her last spring to our ongoing partnership with UK Physician Researcher Dr. Francesc Martí for a summer opportunity in organ transplant research. Lillie did well in her research and has even decided to continue working there after graduation. Because of this experience, she is now considering following medical research as a career.”

Lewis reflects on her time studying in the Shaw School of Sciences.

“The Shaw School of Sciences has been formative not only for my academic and intellectual pursuits, but also for my personal goals,” she said. “Hands down, my relationships with my professors have been the most enjoyable part of my time here.”

Learn more about this year’s SEARCH Symposium: https://www.asbury.edu/discover-search/opportunities/events/search-symposium/2023-symposium/