Six students from Adrian College are spending their summer break conducting research projects, thanks to the school’s 2025 Undergraduate Student Summer Research Grants.
Each student received a $1,500 grant, along with room and board if needed, to support their research. The projects cover a wide range of topics, from chemical contamination in Michigan’s aquifer system to artificial intelligence, according to an announcement.
Ty Perin, a senior majoring in geology and environmental studies, is expanding on research conducted by his faculty sponsor, Professor Sarah Hanson. His project, titled “Correlation Between the Tectonic Origin of Pegmatites: A Tool for Evaluating Rare-Earth-Element Deposits,” aims to differentiate between two types of pegmatites based on their formation processes.
Hanson’s research was successful in separating the two types, but she noted a “weird overlap field” in the data. The main economic interest in this research lies in the presence of heavy rare-earth elements in some pegmatites.
Perin sees the project as a valuable opportunity to gain experience in his field of interest.
“It’s a really neat opportunity, because I’m also able to work with Dr. Hanson,” Perin said. “To be a part of this project is amazing.”
Jonah Watson, a senior majoring in data analytics and business management, is investigating the connection between alcohol consumption habits and the overall health of college students. His project employs artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to analyze datasets related to student health outcomes and alcohol use.
“His project addresses a very important issue,” said Watson’s faculty sponsor, Professor Yasser Alginahi. “Jonah’s approach goes far beyond basic analysis.”
Watson said the project challenges him and the campus community to engage critically with a real-world issue.
Dakota Schneider, a senior majoring in film studies and graphic design, is working on “Article Research and Archiving for the Documentary Film: SOV.ER.EIGN.TY.” His research involves collecting written articles on sovereign citizens from the past 20 years and examining the 2010 shooting in West Memphis.
“The results will … (provide) a larger image of similarities (between) sovereign citizen communities in the country, the level and extent of what they are willing to say and do for their cause, and how they view the movement overall,” Schneider said.
Lauren Jasinski, a senior majoring in environmental studies and psychology, is researching nitrate and phosphate contamination in the bedrock aquifer system of southeastern Michigan as related to agricultural runoff. Her research involves plotting water quality data over time to assess concentration trends within both shallow and deep aquifer systems.
Themba Mazibuko, a junior majoring in computer science and finance, is researching “AI-Driven Financial Modeling: Can Machine Learning Outperform Traditional Valuation Techniques?” His project aims to assess the comparative accuracy of machine learning versus traditional valuation methods.
Nongbzanga Ariane Fabiola Ouedraogo, a senior majoring in computer science, is exploring AI-driven solutions for adaptive hearing devices to empower people with auditory disabilities. Her research involves analyzing how different AI tools perform in various environments by comparing transcription accuracy, latency and response to background noise.
Final results from the projects will be displayed next year in April during Adrian College’s Ribbons of Excellence.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
