Public health student researcher showcases work at Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Kendall Souder, West Virginia University School of Public Health accelerated bachelor’s to master’s student, presented at 19th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium on Thursday, July 23, 2026.

The judged event provides undergraduate students participating in summer research programs at WVU and other higher education institutions across the state the opportunity to showcase their work.

For Souder’s research project “Association Between MEPA Diet Scores and Anemia in Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study,” she was mentored by Professor Bethany Barone Gibbs. Over the course of nine weeks, Souder spent 320+ hours on her research, which focused on pregnancy-induced anemia in the Appalachia region. During that time, she gained hands-on insights about study design and research methodology.

Top photo caption: School of Public Health student Kendall Souder (left) and her research mentor Professor Bethany Barone Gibbs (right) stand beside Souder’s research poster at the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.