Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Celebrating ILS student research at the 2026 Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference

May 5th, 2026

Libraries and School of Information Studies is proud to celebrate the outstanding work of students in the Information Studies minor, whose research was featured at the 2026 Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference.

This year, eleven ILS research projects were presented by twenty-five undergraduate students, highlighting the depth and diversity of inquiry within the field of information studies. From conducting systematic reviews of business education, to analyzing how social media strategies can encourage exercise, to exploring the relationship between information-seeking behaviors and information literacy, our students tackled timely and impactful topics that shape how we understand and use information in everyday life.

In addition to individual presentation awards, the Libraries and School of Information Studies also recognizes outstanding overall contributions through the ILS Award, presented to student projects that exemplify excellence in research, creativity, and engagement with information studies themes. This year’s recipients stood out for their strong scholarly impact and meaningful exploration of complex, real-world information challenges.

These projects not only demonstrate strong research skills, but also reflect the creativity and critical thinking that define the ILS community. We are thrilled to see our students contributing meaningful insights across such a wide range of areas.

• 1266: AI for Education
  • Authors: Gaetano Antonio Iannotta; Samarth Bhatt; Tyler Daniel Grabowski; Mehak Kaur Virdy
  • Mentors: Qiang Qiu (Engineering); Wei Zakharov (Libraries); Wei Chen (Engineering); Colby Ben Acton (Engineering)
• 1308: SPIRaL: Climate Change Communication Among College Students
  • Authors: Jayla Kennedy Parks; Braxtyn Cooper; Audrey Wray
  • Mentors: Rachel K. Fundator (Libraries); Clarence D. Maybee (Libraries)
• 1421: Campus Climate: Analyzing Rhetoric of Student Produced Environmental Information at Purdue University (1st Place with High Distinction)
  • Authors: Effie Cobbett; Samuel Aaron Brodsky
  • Mentor: Samantha Elizabeth LeGrand (Libraries)
• 1462: Small Data Logics: Community, Creativity, and Zine Culture as a Normative Lens for Human-Centered Information Technology (3rd Place)
  • Author: Lucy Cosette Juedemann
  • Mentor: Jerilyn Pia Tinio (Libraries)
• 1465: Social Media Strategies for Encouraging Exercise among University Students
  • Authors: Aditya Kapoor; David Lu
  • Mentor: Samantha Elizabeth LeGrand (Libraries)
• 1506: Evaluating the Integration of Constructivist Learning Principles in VR 3D-Modeling User Interfaces
  • Authors: Jaser Ahmed Pallikonda Latheef
  • Mentor: Samantha Elizabeth LeGrand (Libraries)
• 1629: SPIRaL: Communicating Using Climate Change Information (2nd Place)
  • Authors: LauraLynn Montefrio Corrales; Tamanna Sahoo; Joyce Lau
  • Mentors: Rachel K. Fundator (Libraries); Clarence D. Maybee (Libraries)
• 1747: End-to-End Ontology-Driven Knowledge Graph Extraction and Question Answering Framework for Educational AI Chatbots
  • Authors: Zhenghao Xu; Boyang Wu; Aishani Sakalabhaktula; Anya Chauhan
  • Mentors: Wei Zakharov (Libraries); Qiang Qiu (Engineering); Wei Chen (Engineering); Colby Ben Acton (Engineering)
• 7050: SPIRaL: Challenges in Climate Change Communication among Purdue University Students
  • Authors: Lillia Shr; Ukiah Johnson; Hazel Carter
  • Mentors: Rachel K. Fundator (Libraries); Clarence D. Maybee (Libraries)
• 9015: A Systematized Review of Business Ethics Education
  • Author: Anvi Datta
  • Mentors: Zoeanna Aileen Mayhook (Libraries); Rachel JoAnn Scaliatine (Education)
• 9028: What Does Information-Seeking Behavior Tell Us About Information Literacy Skills?
  • Author: Gwyneth Grace James
  • Mentor: Bethany S. McGowan (Libraries)

Together, these projects reflect the strength of the Minor in Information Studies and the collaborative mentorship that supports student success. We extend our gratitude to the faculty mentors who guided this work and helped students bring their ideas to life.

As information continues to shape every aspect of our world, the curiosity and innovation demonstrated by these students highlight the importance of information studies in addressing complex, real-world challenges. We look forward to seeing how these emerging scholars continue to grow, contribute, and lead in the field.

Congratulations again to all of our ILS student researchers!