{"id":151567,"date":"2025-09-03T08:12:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=151567"},"modified":"2025-09-02T12:57:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T17:57:00","slug":"ole-miss-recognizes-record-group-of-stamps-impact-prize-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/ole-miss-recognizes-record-group-of-stamps-impact-prize-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"Ole Miss Recognizes Record Group of Stamps Impact Prize Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Student projects to investigate congenital heart defects, food addiction, women in the arts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>By Clara Turnage<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The<strong> Stamps Impact Prize<\/strong> welcomed its largest cohort yet of<strong> University of Mississippi <\/strong>student researchers and artists on Thursday, August 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/1da3c85953fd4d7797cb79d219657e4e\/1\/efe2caa2781d19e14fc55b9f797dedf6a058876ada602685ad5b30a966dd88cb?cache_buster=1756500601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stamps Impact Prize<\/a>\u00a0will help 15 students study a range of topics from symphony conducting to bridging the language gap in public health. The university recognized the spring 2025 cohort of recipients during a Thursday ceremony in the <strong>Paul B. Johnson Commons<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka.jpg?resize=640%2C960\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-151577 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?w=1707&amp;ssl=1 1707w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kenneth-Sufka-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>&#8220;These 15 exceptional projects join 34 others that we have funded or are currently funding in our just first two years of operation,&#8221; said <strong>Kenneth Sufka<\/strong>, distinguished professor of psychology and pharmacology and research professor in the <strong>Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences<\/strong>. Sufka leads the Stamps Impact Prize program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Whether it&#8217;s in the sciences, fine arts, education, engineering, or humanities, the Stamps Impact Prize gives students the chance to chase their passions, test their ideas, and prepare for what comes next. That&#8217;s what the prize is all about: investing in their potential while giving them the tools they need to succeed.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This year&#8217;s recipients are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jana Abuirshaid<\/strong>, of Southaven, a senior majoring in public health and Arabic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maria Fernanda Argote de la Torre<\/strong>, of San Andres Cholula, Puebla, Mexico, a senior biomedical engineering major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Darryl Bonds<\/strong>, of Flowood, a senior psychology major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emma Broemmer<\/strong>, of Leesburg, Virginia, a senior psychology major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Benton Donahue<\/strong>, of Madison, a senior music education major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jack Griffith<\/strong> of Charlotte, North Carolina, a senior mechanical engineering major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ann Grigsby<\/strong>, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, a senior studio art major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sydney Guntharp<\/strong>, of Hernando, a senior majoring in English and political science<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jacob King<\/strong>, of Canton, a senior biochemistry major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lindsey McGee<\/strong>, of Chesterfield, Missouri, a senior mechanical engineering major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Camille Newman<\/strong>, of Pass Christian, a senior mechanical engineering major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compton Ross<\/strong>, of Madison, a senior majoring in computer science and mathematics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jackson Sevin<\/strong>, of New Orleans, a senior psychology major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Katherine Tibbs<\/strong>, of Gulfport, a senior exercise science major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Abi Turner<\/strong>, of Suwanee, Georgia, a senior elementary education major.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Argote de la Torre is studying congenital heart defects and will use&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/1da3c85953fd4d7797cb79d219657e4e\/2\/332652f305147b1cad2b0947d2515352c2fcfbfb83c429e6b58aa4dc8e53cdf6?cache_buster=1756500601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CRISPR<\/a>, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to precisely modify DNA, to better understand what role genes play in the heart&#8217;s development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What that actually allows us to do is turn off genes and play detective to see what genes had what effects,&#8221; she said. &#8220;By being able to turn them &#8216;off,&#8217; we hope to better understand why this happens and eventually minimize the number of children who have these defects in the future.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Broemmer, who will be studying gender roles in Greek life, said her research will focus on an often-overlooked demographic of the student body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;There has been a lot of research on masculinity and on fraternities,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s about time we started researching women as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Griffith&#8217;s project will use concepts of fluid dynamics to create more efficient unmanned aircraft shaped like traditional flying saucers. The UFO-shaped drones will not only be able to operate with only one propeller as opposed to four, but using the science-backed principles of airflow mechanics could make them consume less energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being able to conduct research with a mentor as an undergraduate will help prepare him for the future, Griffith said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to be able to think outside the box and find solutions to problems on my own,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Whether it&#8217;s in my career or in a master&#8217;s program, this will be a valuable experience for me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/1da3c85953fd4d7797cb79d219657e4e\/3\/f7a71a52821028b82fcd15df84f46c5971250dffc8c1b7f30a9beb11982667df?cache_buster=1756500601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Launched in fall 2023<\/a>, the competitive award gives undergraduate students a chance to take their learning beyond the classroom with faculty-mentored projects. Students can receive up to $5,000 to support their research, creative work, or community initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/1da3c85953fd4d7797cb79d219657e4e\/4\/e5b9f10707de0ff1ea57c8bee207c6b9043da700c63f453454f8a14be3760b20?cache_buster=1756500601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">application portal<\/a>\u00a0for the fall semester opens October 1. Recipients will be announced November 15. The awards are open to all Ole Miss students on the Oxford and regional campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Student projects to investigate congenital heart defects, food addiction, women in the arts By Clara Turnage The Stamps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123462,"featured_media":151568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25263],"tags":[30539,5,642,7067,4,26772,655],"class_list":["post-151567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university-news","tag-kenneth-sufka","tag-mississippi","tag-ms","tag-ole-miss","tag-oxford","tag-stamps-impact-prize","tag-university-of-mississippi"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stamps-Impact-Prize-Fall-25-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123462"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151567"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151580,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151567\/revisions\/151580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}