Research Day 2023
The University of Wyoming held its annual Undergraduate Research & Inquiry Across
the Disciplines event, where students representing a variety of majors presented their
research projects. The Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship Award for Excellence in the Liberal
Arts, an award that recognizes exceptional academic achievement and creativity in
undergraduate research, was presented to two student researchers.
A team of judges, including Dan Radosevich, Jim Herrold, and Carol Frost, reviewed
submissions from students across the university and selected two winners for the honor.
The winner of the best liberal arts project was Ema Kurbos-Cooper, a senior at UW
studying Environmental Systems Science with a concurrent degree in Environment & Natural
Resources and a minor in Honors. Ema presented her classical guitar composition, "Equilibria,"
which reimagines ecological regime shifts in the form of a three-part sonata structure.
Ema was taught classical guitar by Kevin S. Hart, a prominent guitar instructor who
resides in Laramie, Wyoming.
The second recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Award for Excellence in the Liberal Arts
was Maeve Knepper, who was also elected into Phi Beta Kappa in 2023. Maeve is graduating
with a degree in economics and international studies with a concentration in Africa
and the Middle East. Her research project, titled "Evaluating the Impacts of Water
Scarcity on the People of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan," analyzed the economic
and social impacts of water scarcity in the region and the potential for sustainable
development.
