Posters and presentations filled UMW’s Hurley Convergence Center on Friday, April 21, 2023. Complex art projects transformed the ground floor of the Cedric Rucker University Center. Music emanated from the Weatherly Wing of Seacobeck Hall, and master’s research projects on effective teaching methods stretched into the evening.
In the newly named Leigh Frackelton Classroom in Woodard Hall, a Case Competition offered bragging rights and cash awards.
It all added up to UMW’s 17th annual Research and Creativity Symposium – a campuswide celebration of all things academic – by students from all three UMW colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, and the College of Business.
“Essentially, every building on campus has a showcase that day,” said Assistant Dean of Arts and Sciences Betsy Lewis, who leads the efforts and experience annually.
Here are some scenes from the day’s events.
College of Arts and Sciences: Applied Research
At the Hurley Convergence Center from late morning to early afternoon, student researchers packed the Digital Auditorium and mezzanine with posters detailing dozens of experiments and findings, mostly in the sciences. As guests filed by to view the poster projects, the student presenters explained methodology and answered questions.
Emma Jones ’25 described conducting fluorescence tests as part of a process to determine if proton pump inhibitors can increase cell sensitivity to the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. Jones plans to continue the work, overseen by Associate Professor of Chemistry Randall D. Reif, in future semesters.
Abby Seputro, Chloe Boyd and Stephen Case, all class of ’23, presented work they completed with the guidance of Associate Professor of Chemistry Leanna Giancarlo on using transition state theory to understand the kinetics of the gas phase synthesis of ammonia, a project with agricultural implications.
While science topics predominated, students also presented in geography, digital communications, religion, psychology, and more.
Business administration major Sara Radford ’23 used the poster presentation to share results of her capstone Honors Program research into attitudes, obstacles, and opportunities about and for women in business. Her work was conducted with Dr. Alexandra Dunn.
College of Arts and Sciences: 2,000-Year-Old Fast Food
Inside a former office in James Farmer Hall, a transformation has begun. The compact space is becoming a replica ancient fast-food spot called thermopolium – where Roman apartment-dwellers without their own kitchens could trade coins for cooked chicken or hot fish stew scooped out of jars called dolia. Hungry customers might also partake of bread, eggs, apples, figs, grapes, and wine.
With guidance from Professor of Classics Liane Houghtalin, students Shilah Morris ’24, Jessica Thorne ’23, and Vonne Daszkilewicz ’23 presented their work on the thermopolium, which they based on cookshop excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Though Thorne and Daszkilewicz are graduating this spring, Houghtalin already has students interested in carrying on the project in the fall. The eventual goal is to open to visitors during regular office hours of the Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion.
College of Arts and Sciences: Music to Challenge and Delight
Across campus at Seacobeck Hall, Claudia Boyd ’25 on violin and Cornellius Ellis ’24 on viola presented two of J. Wanhal’s Progressive Duos to kick off a student recital before an appreciative audience of students, relatives and others.
Over the next hour or so, other musicians played solos, duos and ensemble pieces on violins, an oboe, a bass clarinet, flutes, and the Steinway grand piano in the Weatherly Wing.
Student performers included Joseph Haun, Parris Dineen, Caroline Caton, Emmy Goggin, Sasha Murphy, Katharine Bogen, Rebecca Settlemeyer, and Mark Knight – sharing music they love with those who love music.
College of Education: Master’s Research Launches Educators
Some fourth-graders might groan at the sight of a mathematical word problem while others jump right in. Mariah Lipscomb ’22, M.Ed. ’23 wanted to know if illustrating those mini math stories helps – or if it’s easier for 9- and 10-year-olds to just read and solve.
Lipscomb explored the question by working with a group of fourth-graders, measuring their progress over time, and conducting follow-up interviews. The results were not perfectly conclusive, but she found that illustrations may indeed help students use their math and language skills together.
Alexis Vukmanic ’22, M.Ed. ’23 tested a theory that catchy songs about fractions can increase student engagement and minimize distractions to teach the concept to second-graders. “Miss V,” as the children call her, wrote fraction-related lyrics to familiar tunes and got her mom to help record them. She was delighted when the 7- and 8-year-olds learned fractions and enjoyed the songs as well.
Lipscomb, Vukmanic, and 63 other fifth-year master’s degree candidates shared their research Friday evening via posters and oral presentations – after which, College of Education Dean Pete Kelly pointed out, they were done with all the academic work to earn their degrees. The celebratory event went on into the evening.
College of Business: Case Competition Challenges Business Undergrads
The final event of Research and Creativity Day was the fifth annual Case Competition, in which teams of business students study a business case, determine challenges and possible solutions, then present their findings orally and via projected slides. To get to this point, each team had already won a preliminary competition within various business classes this semester.
Five teams vied in a competition sponsored by alumnus Andrew Blate ’04 and business partner Craig Schneibolk of the D.C.-area remodeling company Beautiful Home Services, who have started an endowed fund to cover $5,000 in award money for each year’s event. They also judged this year’s contest along with fellow business alumni Linda Blakemore ’84 and Rob Whitt ’93.
This year’s case threw plenty of variables at five teams involving 14 student presenters, and the results impressed the judges and Ken Machande, the College of Business interim dean.
“I’ve seen every presentation in all five years,” Machande said, “and this is by far the most professional final group we’ve seen. Every group in here would’ve been in the top three of previous years.”
Read the full story on the 2023 COB Case Competition.
Bigger and Better
This year, the numbers of students participating in Research and Creativity Symposium were back to pre-pandemic levels. UMW’s Beyond the Classroom endowment plays an important role in funding student research. Thanks to donor generosity – including a recently announced $30 million gift from the estate of Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 that will increase support for student research and scholarship in future years – organizers anticipate that the annual event will continue to grow.
