ALTOONA, Pa. — Penn State Altoona student Madison Kennedy received the Best in Symposium award for her research poster presentation, “A Novel Squircle Lattice Topology for Lightweight Structures with Superior Mechanical Performance,” at the 2026 Multi-Campus Research Experience for Undergraduates (MC REU) Symposium, held in July at University Park.
Kennedy, who previously studied in the engineering pre-Mmajor program at Penn State Altoona and is now pursuing aerospace engineering in University Park, conducted her MC REU research under the supervision of Fazlay Rabbi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State Altoona. Sheikh Ferdous of Penn State Harrisburg served as a secondary research mentor.
Kennedy received a $200 scholarship, the highest award presented at the symposium.
Penn State Altoona mechanical engineering student Madison Riva also contributed to the research project. Six other students from Penn State Altoona participated in the 2026 MC REU program: Alexander Kotovis, Ryan Priel, Benjamin Shank, Emani Williams, Brian Sasaguay, and Salam Awal.
The 2026 MC REU cohort included 75 undergraduate researchers representing 12 Penn State campuses.
MC REU supports Penn State undergraduate students in conducting research with Penn State faculty mentors, including a faculty member from the student’s home campus and a faculty member based at University Park. The eight-week summer intensive fosters connections across the University and broadens students’ academic and professional networks. In addition to conducting research, participants engage in professional development programming.