Caldrida Pearl D. Souza, Reese Hufnagel and Premanvitha Salla recognized for their research at the 2026 UW-Stout WiSys Quick Pitch competition
Three university students were recognized and awarded for their undergraduate research at the UW-Stout WiSys Quick Pitch event on May 5.
WiSys Quick Pitch invites both undergraduate and graduate students to pitch their research-based ideas to an audience for a chance to earn cash prizes and a spot in the WiSys Quick Pitch Final competition, which will take place during the WiSys SPARK Symposium at UW-Eau Claire this July.
Caldrida Pearl D. Souza, a graduate student studying food science and technology, earned first place for her pitch, titled “Comparative Analysis of Meltability and Stretchability in Traditional and Plant-Based Cheeses.” This project aims to test the meltability and stretchability of commercially available vegan cheeses with those of traditional cheeses. Souza noticed the differences in meltability and stretching properties between traditional and vegan cheese options, as well as the lack of protein in commercial plant-based cheeses. Seeing the gap, she developed several formulations of vegan cheeses, aiming to mimic dairy cheese behavior by improving protein interactions and structural integrity.
Souza’s faculty advisor on this project is Dr. Eun Joo Lee, a Professor of the Food Science and Technology (FST) program.
Reese Hufnagel, a junior studying chemistry, earned second place with her pitch, titled “The Sky is Falling: Accelerating Demise During Uncontrolled Reentry of Space Debris.” Hufnagel noticed that the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) in spacecraft designs has become a growing safety concern due to their habits of surviving atmospheric reentry and falling intact near populated areas. Her research introduces a catalytic additive that triggers rapid oxidation of CFRPs at the extreme temperatures experienced during reentry, ensuring they burn up as intended. The result is a material that delivers all the benefits of carbon fiber during its operational life, while reliably demising upon reentry and reducing the risk of debris reaching the ground.
Hufnagel’s faculty advisor is Matthew Ray, a professor and department chair in the Chemistry & Physics Department.
Graduate student Premanvitha Salla won the people’s choice award for her pitch, titled “Development of Cherry-Tamarind ‘Swicy’ Hot Sauce.” As a student of food science and technology, Salla developed an innovative hot sauce fusing cherry and tamarind, spiced with Indian chili powder to understand the synergy between tart sweet fruit profiles and regional spices. Salla plans to conduct sensory evaluation tests to assess consumer perception and measure physicochemical properties to determine product stability and quality. Salla anticipates that the cherry-tamarind hot sauce will perform better than store-bought cherry-flavored hot sauces because of the unique flavor profile.
Salla’s faculty advisor is Dr. Sudershan Reddy Medagam.
Additional participants included:
Srujana Mallu – Automated Vertical Storage and Inventory Optimization
Arsala Khan Jadoon – Systems Architecture for End-to-End Autonomous Fast-Food Operations
Sai Prathyusha Neelam – Effect of Collagen Infusion on the Physicochemical and Textural Properties of Oven-Cooked Chicken Meat Bites
Chloe Ferguson – User experience design for painting optimization constraints onto a 3D model
Sreeja Samala – Pea Starch to Food Packaging: Replacing Plastic with Biodegradable Films
Anushka Patil – Gut microbial effects on trophallaxis in the honeybee, Apis mellifera
Mukundeshwari Yampalla, Chuhan Yu, & Junmeng Zhang – Antimicrobial Effect of Kombucha and SCOBY on Fresh Chicken Meat
Chaitra Sawant – Potato Protein Isolate for early-stage GLP-1 users
The judges for the event were:
Katherine Frank – Chancellor of UW-Stout
Adam Accola – Director of Economic Development at UW-Stout
Ian Foley – Compliance Specialist and Youth & Minors Protection Coordinator at UW-Stout
If you are interested in learning more about WiSys Quick Pitch, please visit our website or contact Sadie Uehling, WiSys Grants and Events Coordinator, at suehling@wisys.org.
Original Article
https://www.wisys.org/2026/05/18/2026-wisys-quick-pitch-uw-stout/