Students shine at Mississippi Academy of Sciences annual meeting
Students from the John D. Bower School of Population Health delivered an outstanding showing at the 2026 Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, earning multiple awards and showcasing the strength of the School of Population Health’s interdisciplinary training.
The Mississippi Academy of Sciences brings together researchers from across the state to share findings, exchange ideas and advance scientific knowledge across a wide range of disciplines. For students at the School of Population Health, the meeting provides an opportunity to present their work in a professional setting while engaging with peers and experts from fields spanning health sciences, data science and beyond.
This year, students presented research that reflects the school’s focus on applied impact and data-driven solutions to complex health challenges. Their success at MAS highlights both the quality of their work and their ability to communicate it effectively to broader scientific audiences.
Award-Winning Presentations
Salit Chakma, 2nd Place, Graduate Oral Presentations
Sachin Karki, 3rd Place, Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics
Mickel Sandifer, 2nd Place, Graduate Poster Presentations
Tyus Wilson, 1st Place, Graduate Oral Presentations
Also worth noting are several additional accomplishments that reflect the depth of engagement from the School of Population Health.
Dr. Fazlay Faruque provided mentorship to four award-winning students, Wilson, Chakma, Sandifer and Roy, supporting their preparation and success at the conference.
Sachin Karki’s research, An Observational Study into New Age Programming: Vibe Coding, Engineering Prompts with Coding Agents and AI Tools, advised by Dr. Yufeng Zheng, was selected among the top 10 percent of abstracts and featured in the prestigious Mississippi INBRE 3-Minute Thesis Competition.
In addition, Dr. Zheng contributed to the meeting through a data science consulting workshop, offering attendees practical guidance on topics such as machine learning, AI tools and research collaboration. The workshop highlighted the growing role of data science in addressing complex health and research challenges.
Together, these accomplishments reflect the strength of mentorship, collaboration and applied learning at the School of Population Health, and the continued impact of its students and faculty across the state’s scientific community.