Payton Whitehead of Colbert is shown with Chancellor Glen D. Johnson at Research Day at the Capitol. Twenty-two undergraduate students representing 17 Oklahoma colleges and universities presented competitive research posters to the State Legislature and the public during this annual event sponsored by Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the National Science Foundation.
DURANT, Okla. – Payton Whitehead, a senior at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, captured first place honors at Research Day at the Capitol on March 26-27.
Research Day at the Capitol was established more than 20 years ago to showcase the outstanding undergraduate research being conducted at Oklahoma’s colleges and universities in the areas of science (including social science), technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students are nominated by their institutions’ leadership to participate in the prestigious event, which is sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (OK EPSCoR), and the National Science Foundation.
Nominated students present their research to State Legislators and the public in the State Capitol Rotunda during the legislative session. In addition, students’ posters and oral presentations are competitively judged by an independent panel; winners are announced at the conclusion of Research Day, during an awards ceremony held in the Capitol’s Blue Room.
Whitehead, from Colbert, Oklahoma, took first place in the Regional and Community Colleges division for his entry in enzyme biochemistry research. He received a certificate and a $500 cash prize for his winning efforts, based on his presentation to a team of judges.
He is a Chemistry major/minor on the Biochemical Technology track.
Whitehead, who will graduate in May, has been accepted into the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate program in the Biology Department at the University of North Texas. He plans to pursue a career in biochemical research.