Twenty-six Ohio State Design Students presented their design capstone projects during the 31st annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, held in the Ohio Union on March 10, 2026. Seven of these students were selected as winners in their categories from more than 200 presenters, also photographed below with their award certificates.

The Denman Forum is meant to showcase research from the brightest undergraduates at Ohio State, and we applaud these students for this well-deserved honor and celebrate their excellent work and determination! 

Student presenters are listed below, alphabetically by first name, listed with award (if any) and presentation title:

• Aliina Lange, Wrappr: Reducing Angler Waste in Ohio State Parks
• Ananya Muddappa, Harmony: Design for Collaboration and Creativity in Music
• Anastasia Allison, Second Place, Public Health, Echo: Conversations Amplified
• Chipper Orban, PolyCradle: Gamified Waste Receptacle Inspired by Community and Circular Economy
• Cynthia Szeto, Advice That Accumulates: Intergenerational Learning with Tip Jar
• Emerson Lepicki, First Place, Pediatric and Family Health, Lexorva: Integrating Augmented Reality Into Language Learning for Grades K-2
• Emily Tanchevski, Gathering Grove: Designing for Mindful Outdoor Recreation
• Francesca Knoetgen, Cabin Sense: A Sensory Informed Backseat Experience for Children
• Hannah King, The Dream Drive System
• Jada Davis, Foster Forward
• Jessica Angst, GreenerSpaces
• Joseph Christiano, Second Place, Pediatric and Family Health, Honda Oasis Display: Reimagining the Backseat as an Emotionally Supportive Environment for Children
• Katarina Kozlowski, fix’t: A Design Solution to the Cat Overpopulation Crisis
• Kora Lilly, Emotional Wealth: Beyond the Bank Balance
• Kora Lilly, Second Place, Sustainability Institute, Layers of Influence: The Dual Impact of Primary and Secondary Packaging on Consumer Perception and Product Evaluation (not a design capstone project)
• Lea Sokol, Group Travel Banking
• Lincoln Ahn, Mindful Steps
• Maya Bittner, SoundSteps: Hearing Loss from the Parents’ Perspective
• Mica Bendezu, Sanderling
• Pillip Biondo, Amast
• Ruo-Hua Chu, Third Place, Sustainability Institute,  Local Loops: Exploring Circularity in Franklinton
• Samuel Rankin, Neem: Music as Medicine for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients
• Suyeon Chae, Prairie
• Sydney Greenwell, Honorable Mention, Pediatric and Family Health, New Horizons: Reimagining Automotive Travel for Children Through Sensory-enhanced Mindfulness
• Vansh Talwar, PUSH: Skateboarding Community App Prototype
• William An, Milestone: Running App Designed to Put Consistency Over Performance
• Zoei Tee, Second Place, Arts, Culture & Humanities, navi: A Mobile Application Designed to Support Travel Accessibility

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The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum provides an opportunity for graduating student researchers to share their research endeavors with the university community.  The Denman Forum is UR&CI’s only competitive poster forum in which winners are recognized in each category as determined by faculty, staff, and Denman alumni reviewers. Students are reviewed on their ability to communicate their research process and results effectively through written poster content and accompanying oral presentation. During the Denman Forum, we celebrate not only the hard work of these students, but also the dedication of their faculty research mentors.

In addition to the generous awards provided by the Denmans, we also partner with several organizations to award discipline-specific prizes, including the Center for Ethics and Human Values, the Infectious Disease Institute, the Secondary Data Core, and the Sustainability Institute.  Students researching topics related to these fields are especially encouraged to apply to present at the Denman Forum.