Senior Canaan Mercer of Madison received first place at the recent Mississippi Academy of Sciences Conference for his poster examining the effects of atrazine on cellular processes.CLEVELAND, Miss. — Students from Delta State University’s Division of Mathematics and Sciences earned multiple awards and showcased a strong body of undergraduate research at the 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS) Conference, held March 19–20, 2026, in Biloxi.
Sixteen students and six faculty members contributed a combined three oral and 11 poster presentations, representing disciplines across ecology, biology, chemistry, geology and related fields. Their work was featured in four conference divisions, highlighting the university’s continued emphasis on hands-on research and student engagement in the sciences.
Several students received recognition for their work. Erick Manriquez, a senior from Hamburg, Arkansas earned fourth place in the competitive Millsaps Scholar Poster Session for his project, “Analysis of Microplastics in Teeth,” conducted with Interim Chair of the Division of Math and Science and Professor of Chemistry Dr. Joseph Bentley.
In the Ecology, Entomology, Evolutionary Biology and Zoology (EEEBZ) division, senior Canaan Mercer of Madison received first place for his poster examining the effects of atrazine on cellular processes. Mercer also contributed as a co-author on three additional presentations. Olivia Pharr, a junior from Charleston, earned third place for her research on regional jam composition and was also a co-author on three additional projects.
Senior Aubrie Pitts of Brandon presented her poster on species observed at Holcomb Spring during the recent Mississippi Academy of Sciences Conference.
Senior Aubrie Pitts of Brandon received a Millsaps participation award for her poster on species observed at Holcomb Spring, with her abstract ranking in the top 10 percent of undergraduate submissions. Kent Humphries, a junior from Fulton, also earned a Millsaps participation award for his research on enzyme structure alongside Professor of BioChemistry Dr. Chris Jurgenson.
Faculty members played a key role in both research and conference leadership. Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding served as chair of the EEEBZ Division, where she co-organized sessions, coordinated a field trip, and led division programming. She also delivered two invited presentations focused on paleontology and environmental chemistry research tied to her IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) grant work. During the conference, she was re-elected as division chair and as vice president of the Mississippi Chapter of the Association for Women Geoscientists.
Jurgenson, chair-elect of the Mississippi Emerging Research Institute Council, presented at the MERIC Symposium alongside faculty from six institutions. His presentation explored computational methods used to better understand enzyme function and molecular interactions.
Student participants included Humphries and Manriquez (chemistry), John Clay Hong of Indianola (biology), Pitts (environmental science), Hannah Jones of Prattville, Alabama, Molly Mellen of Cleveland, and Mercer (environmental science and biology), and Pharr (environmental science and biology, December 2025 graduate). Additional student collaborators included Daniel Aboumonzer and Briggs Nassar of Cleveland, Curissa Bacon of Durant, Kaley Harden and Allison Nester of Carrolton, Peyton Bevan of Jasper, Alabama, Xavier Stanford of Ruleville, and Donald Coleman of Greenville. Faculty participants included Drs. Baghai-Riding, Bentley, Jurgenson, Severine Groh, William Katembe, and Charles Smithhart.
“I loved attending MAS,” said Manriquez. “It’s a conference that brings together a wide range of scientific topics, and I was honored to present in both poster sessions and place fourth overall. That experience wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our faculty.”
Humphries noted the value of both the academic sessions and professional connections. “MAS was a great learning experience,” he said. “Between the lectures and the people I met, it was an incredible opportunity.”
The Mississippi Academy of Sciences Conference is one of the state’s premier scientific gatherings, bringing together students, faculty, and researchers from institutions across Mississippi and beyond.
For more information about the conference, visit https://msacad.org.
To learn more about Delta State’s Division of Mathematics and Sciences, visit https://www.deltastate.edu/nursing-health-sciences/mathematics-sciences/.
