PBL Palooza showcases profession-based learning, rewards students

A student presents a poster during Career Services' spring PBL Palooza at the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse. Students presented 67 posters during the event, which occurs each semester. (Photos by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

Poster presentations lined the track April 21 inside the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse as Northwest Missouri State University students shared their profession-based learning experiences during the spring 2021 PBL Palooza.

Launched in the fall of 2019, Northwest Career Services organizes the event to highlight students’ internships, field experiences, practicums and research projects. This spring’s showcase of more than 67 posters addressing a variety of topics.

Jill Brown, director of partnerships and placement at Northwest, said the primary objective of the event is to help students discover the range of opportunities and experiences available to them.

“PBL Palooza is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase the exciting projects they have completed and get ideas for future projects and activities,” Brown said. “We intentionally don’t sort posters by topic, hoping that students will walk away from the event with all sorts of new ideas and connections.”   

PBL Palooza occurs each semester and is open to all students. The event draws employers, community members, faculty and staff, as well as other students. Attendees received tokens to vote for their favorite posters, and winners received a variety of prizes.

A complete list of PBL Palooza poster prize recipients is provided below.

Group winners

• First place: “Break the Silence on Violence”
• Second place: “Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Kayla Ulven and Sophie McMullen
• Third place: “Mental Health (Still) Matters”
• Fourth place: “STD Superheroes,” Grace Elrod, Skylar Rauch, Gibson Brown and Grace Stephens
• Fifth place: “The Office in The Office,” Natalia Martinez and Maddy Brown
• Sixth place: “Developing a Mystery Game: Pandora’s Plaza,” Sierra Brewka, Angel Trinh, Molly Hauser, Lexi Vlahos and Kourtnie Stenwall

Individual winners

• First place: “The Impact of COVID on the Tech Industry,” Nooka Raju Boddu, applied computer science
• Second place: “Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard,” Morgan Duenke, agricultural education
• Third place: “Agricultural Innovator Experience,” Mikayla Martensen, agricultural education
• Fourth place: “Determining Paw Preference in Dogs,” McKayla Fellers, biology and psychology
• Fifth place: “Event Coordinator with Career Services,” Sadie Graham, agricultural science
• Sixth place: “Psychological Effects that Injuries Have on College Athletes,” Regan Kirby, biomedical sciences
• Seventh place: “The Differences in Working Memory in College Age Men and Women,” Zach Van Dorn, biology and psychology
• Eighth place: “Testing Water Samples in Maryville,” Megan Olson, marine biology
• Ninth place: “Ready or Not: Emergency Planning in Midwest Museums,” Natalie Cote, emergency and disaster management
• 10th place: “The Effects of Short Wavelength Light on Pinto Beans,” Iyanna Kelly, biomedical sciences
• 11th place: “Impacts of Canis lupus familiaris on Resting Heart Rates,” Micaila Lopez, biomedical sciences
• 12th place: “Hand Sanitizer vs. Hand Washing Effects on Bacterial Growth,” Caleb Liles, biomedical sciences
• 13th place: “How Many Fats are in Your Food?” Rachel Rumelhart, biology and psychology
• 14th place: “The Effect of Gatorade on Snap Pea Growth,” Josh Paulus, marine biology
• 15th place: “Mouthwash or Green Tea, Which Inhibits Oral Bacteria Growth More,” Collins Nwanonenyi, biomedical science
• 16th place: “The Business Strategy Game: Competing in a Global Marketplace,” Riley Schumacher, business management