Journey of Discovery Undergraduate Research Contest

A psychology major, Brockington’s winning essay argues that societal gender roles are maintained through individual complicity and bad faith, and calls for personal liberation through authentic self-expression beyond traditional expectations.

Her essay, “Individual Influences and Impacts on Gender Roles and Expectations,” explores how gender norms shape relationships and work, drawing on existentialist and feminist ideas. Referencing the 2025 film Companion and sociological studies, it advocates moving beyond rigid gender binaries in favor of more flexible, self-defined identities.

As Brockington began her research, she sought resources that were diverse in both content and format. “I learned that there are multiple types of sources that can be cited, from videos to books to peer-reviewed articles,” she said.

Brockington credits Undergraduate Engineering and Instruction Librarian Beth Carpenter for helping her navigate the library system. “Carpenter helped me navigate the library website and explained its search function in a way that made me feel comfortable using it for the first time,” she said.

Mohr’s winning essay highlighted his ongoing endeavors in a research lab and how the University Libraries services and resources guided him through various steps of the research process.

Mohr’s paper, titled “Exploration of the Secondary Messenger, Selenoprotein P (SEPP1), in a Rodent Model of Exercise; Theorizing Interaction with the Dopamine D2 Receptor (D2R) as a Target for Brain Reward Dysregulation, Addictive Behavior, and Aging,” investigates the relationship between SEPP1 and exercise intensity. SEPP1 is a key antioxidant important for selenium transport, and neuronal and immune health. Using exercise as a personalized therapy for general health as well as treatments for neurodegenerative disorders and addiction is explored in this paper.

“One of the greatest hurdles the UB Libraries helped me overcome was navigating the overwhelming amount of information surrounding my research topic. However, going through this process and utilizing the resources provided, I gradually developed a systematic approach to filter and scrounge through a vast array of articles. This approach is something I continue to use for my research and has allowed me to explore other facets of my research more efficiently,” Mohr said.

Young’s winning essay, titled “An Interconnected Approach to Human Existence,” discusses the work of Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska and delves into the significance of her poems in modern society.

“I immediately took interest in the contest with a desire to share my unique story of mentorship and identity exploration with the support of UB’s library resources,” Young said.

• 2020 - Gursimran Sood
• 2019 - Madeline Chiarella
• 2017 - Sarah Stanford
• 2016 - Michael Fiorica
• 2015 - Jack Ding
• 2014 - Lee Swaydis
• 2013 - Nathan Guterry
• 2012 - Andrew D. Hunt
• 2011 - Joshua Dill
• 2010 - Lye Lin Lock
• 2009 - Sophia Azeb, Michael Wach
• 2008 - Alex Johnston, Tracy Stepien