Recipients of the annual awards are nominated by their colleagues and selected by the College鈥檚 dean and associate deans.

鈥淓ach of these award recipients demonstrate dedication to their students and colleagues,鈥� said Hilton Kelly, dean of 乱伦视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淚 am so pleased to recognize each of these faculty and staff members for all of their work and contributions to supporting the mission of the College.鈥�

The 2026 College Excellence Award recipients:

Excellence in Teaching Award

Kristen Mazur

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

Associate Professor Kristen Mazur builds her classrooms around the idea that students learn best when they are encouraged to take intellectual risks, embrace productive struggles and grow through challenges. She was the leader in the development of 乱伦视频鈥檚 Precalculus program and co-creator of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Assistant Program, helping strengthen pathways into science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. She received the Trevor Evans Award, established by the Mathematical Association of America, for scholarship of an exceptional mathematics article that is accessible to undergraduates which was published in 鈥淢ath Horizons.鈥� Mazur also has multiple publications with undergraduate co-authors.

Excellence in Scholarship

Yanica Faustin

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Assistant Professor Yanica Faustin鈥檚 work focuses on health equity and understanding and dismantling the systemic and structural barriers that shape health and well-being for marginalized communities. Faustin was 乱伦视频鈥檚 first recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action award, a national grant supporting groundbreaking scholarship that advances health equity. This award helped position 乱伦视频 on a national stage in public health research. In addition to peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations and public scholarship, she has built a research program committed to developing future scholars. Faustin has also advanced national conversations around maternal and reproductive health, racial inequities in birth outcomes, severe maternal morbidity and the health experiences of Black communities across the diaspora.

Excellence in Service-Leadership Award

Corey Roberts

Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies

Assistant Professor Corey Roberts’ service has been defined by a commitment to collaboration and community engagement. Through leadership of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) Heritage Language and Learning Working Group, Roberts helped secure multiple grants, develop educational initiatives, organize conferences and workshops and deepens the partnership between 乱伦视频 and the OBSN. These efforts brought together students, faculty, staff, tribal leaders and community members in meaningful and lasting ways. He helped to lead the creation and installation of a historic marker at The Oaks that includes Yesa:sah铆 language and a land acknowledgment, along with coordinating signage on OBSN tribal grounds. The dedication brought more than 120 members of the 乱伦视频 and tribal communities together. Roberts also helped organize the Undergraduate Conference on Languages and Cultures, coordinated Polyglot Lunches, co-advises the Native American Student Association and delivered guest lectures that embody language, culture, community and belonging.

Excellence in Mentoring Award

Lauren Guilmette

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Associate Professor Lauren Guilmette has created numerous opportunities for students to connect their academic work with the wider world. From mentoring independent research projects, Honors students, Summer Undergraduate Research Experience scholars and graduate school applicants, to creating programs that connect students with faculty mentors, community partners and scholars across the country, Guilmette bands the horizons of what mentoring can be. As an advisor to the Gender & Sexuality Living Learning Community, Guilmette has cultivated spaces where students find community, leadership opportunities and a sense of belonging. Through partnerships with local organizations, grassroots initiatives, and community leaders, students have been encouraged to see themselves not simply as learners, but as engaged citizens capable of making a difference in the world. She also has a gift for connecting people, students with mentors, students with communities, students with one another and students with a deeper sense of purpose.

Staff Excellence Award

Beth DeFord

Program Assistant for Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health

Program Assistant Beth DeFord has spent more than two decades tracking down the right answer, identifying a potential problem before it arises, navigating a complicated process, helping a colleague meet a deadline and working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. Known for approaching tasks with professionalism, precision, kindness and a desire to help others succeed, faculty trust her expertise, students benefit from her support and colleagues rely on her wisdom and institutional knowledge. DeFord supports three academic departments, Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health, to provide assistance to faculty, supervise student employees, support hundreds of students and manages a building. One nominator described DeFord as a superhero who manages an enormous workload, yet somehow makes it all look effortless.

During the Fall 2026 semester, Allocco will be teaching an introductory Hindu Traditions course and Death and the Afterlife: Ghosts, Demons and Ancestors in Asian Religions at Colgate University. In addition to teaching courses, she will present one public lecture as the NEH Chair and share her scholarship at a colloquium hosted by Colgate鈥檚 Division of Arts and Humanities.

鈥淚 loved my time at Colgate; it was obviously very formative for me,鈥� Allocco said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 lovely to be thought of as someone who can contribute to an institution that I admire. I majored in religion, Asian studies and philosophy there, and I am doing work now that directly connects to what I studied. The first time I went to India was as a junior at Colgate and now I co-lead my own study abroad courses there. In many ways, this is a full circle moment.鈥�

She plans to use this experience as a professional development opportunity and to bring back what she learned during her time at Colgate University to 乱伦视频.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to join a talented department and be on a campus where there is a lot of sharing of scholarship and I can learn how I can adjust my pedagogy and teaching,鈥� Allocco said. 鈥淚 am looking forward tolearning from new mentorship models and gaining fresh insights that I can bring back and infuse into my own work and classroom at 乱伦视频. I am most invigorated in the classroom when my students are shifting my thinking, so I anticipate teaching in this context will offer me new perspectives to bring back.鈥�

Personally, Allocco is looking forward to visiting with Wanda Warren Berry, professor emeritus of philosophy and religion and her mentor during her time at Colgate University, who is now 94. She is also looking forward to bringing engaged and experiential learning into the classroom and teaching in diverse contexts where students can contribute their own experiences.

鈥淎t Colgate there are many students from South Asia who grew up with Hindu culture and practices, so I鈥檓 looking forward to diverse learning environments where students can contribute their own lived experiences.鈥� Allocco said. 鈥淚 am also planning to embed some of the signature elements from my 乱伦视频 courses into my classes at Colgate, such as site visits to Hindu temples.鈥�

What Allocco is looking forward to the most is sharing her Fulbright sabbatical research on soundscapes and ritual art forms in India in Colgate鈥檚 classrooms and colloquiums.

鈥淚 have new scholarship from my sabbatical in India that I am excited to test drive, present and continue to develop,鈥� Allocco said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for this growth opportunity and I am especially grateful to dean Kelly for his enthusiasm and support.鈥�

Allocco鈥檚 professorship is both an opportunity to contribute to another institution and to bring new ideas and experiences back to 乱伦视频.

鈥淚 am鈥痠ncredibly proud鈥痮f Professor Allocco and her well-earned distinguished professorship at Colgate,鈥� said Hilton Kelly, dean of 乱伦视频 College, the College of鈥疉rts鈥痑nd Sciences. 鈥淥pportunities like this allow our faculty to share their expertise nationally while returning to 乱伦视频 with new perspectives and experiences that enrich our鈥痗lassrooms and鈥痷ltimately benefit our students.鈥�

The seeds that were planted during Allocco鈥檚 time at Colgate helped to define her career at 乱伦视频.

“I feel certain that this experience will enrich my teaching,鈥� Allocco said. 鈥淭he humanities push us inquire, to ask important questions and develop our own positions. I think that happens best in conversation, so I am sure that joining a different set of conversations temporarily will enrich me as a teacher, scholar and mentor.鈥�

Colgate University, established in 1819, is a liberal arts college located in New York with an enrollment of over 3,000 students. Their Department of Religion has nine faculty members.

The funding was awarded through HSS 4110: Designing and Assessing Human Services Programs, a senior-level course taught by Tony Reyes, associate professor of Human Service Studies. In the course, students learn how to design programs that address social problems by conducting needs assessments, developing interventions, identifying necessary resources and evaluating program effectiveness.

Four Human Service Studies students 鈥� Jack Bull 鈥�26, Haleigh Cephus 鈥�26, Margaret Crawford 鈥�26, and Eden Redmond 鈥�26 鈥� wrote the grant proposal that led to the award. Bull, who was interning with Sustainable Alamance at the time, brought firsthand knowledge of the organization’s work to the group’s research. Their proposal recommended funding a program to help people leaving incarceration understand the conditions of parole, a gap the students identified while researching reentry services in Alamance County.

Parole conditions are often complex and violating them can send someone back to prison for reasons unrelated to new criminal activity. The students proposed a series of monthly classes covering what counts as a violation, how to navigate parole requirements, and how to use the technology needed to pay parole fees. The program would be added to the life-skills courses and in-jail classes Sustainable Alamance already provides.

Sustainable Alamance has worked in reentry for 17 years and serves as the Local Reentry Council for Alamance County. The organization was founded by Phil Bowers, who continues to lead it.

“Students in this course don’t write a hypothetical proposal for a hypothetical organization,” Reyes said. “They identify a real gap, work with a real partner, and make a funding decision that has consequences. That changes how carefully they think.”

The grant funding was made possible through a gift from an 乱伦视频 alumna who supports the Learning by Giving model, an educational approach that allows students to learn philanthropy by making real funding decisions. The model has been championed at 乱伦视频 by Bud Warner, emeritus professor of Human Service Studies, who advocated for incorporating hands-on philanthropy into undergraduate education.

Through the project, students gained experience researching community needs, working with local partners, and developing a professional grant proposal.

Ryu was nominated for the award by her colleagues. The nomination process included evidence of teaching effectiveness, mentorship, contributions beyond the classroom and letters from colleagues and former or current students that document the nominee鈥檚 impact on undergraduate mathematics education.

鈥淚 was so honored to be nominated for the award,鈥� said Ryu, associate professor of mathematics. 鈥淚 was deeply touched that so many people were willing to invest their time and effort in supporting my nomination. Being nominated also gave me an opportunity to reflect on my journey as an educator and on the many students, colleagues, and mentors who have shaped that journey.鈥�

In the classroom, Ryu strives to create a space for students to actively engage with mathematics through inquiry, collaboration and problem solving. Beyond the classroom, she creates opportunities for students to participate in undergraduate research, engage in interdisciplinary projects that connect mathematics with biology, present at national conferences, publish research and grow into confident mathematicians and scholars.

鈥淭his national-level award for distinguished teaching is truly an incredible honor,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淭he MAA has been my professional home throughout my career. To be recognized by colleagues whose work I have admired for many years is both humbling and deeply meaningful. More than anything, this award reflects the students, colleagues and mentors who have inspired and supported me along the way.鈥�

To Ryu, the award signifies that teaching is about believing in students, creating opportunities for them to succeed, and helping them discover their own potential.

鈥淚 have always tried to create a classroom where students feel comfortable asking questions, taking intellectual risks and learning from mistakes,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淚 hope to inspire students to see mathematics as a creative and meaningful discipline. Knowing that the MAA recognizes this philosophy is incredibly meaningful to me, and it encourages me to continue growing as an educator and mentor.鈥�

As an award recipient, Ryu will continue giving back to the mathematical community. This year, she will serve as a Teaching Support Group Facilitator for Project NExT, supporting a new cohort of early-career mathematics faculty. She will also serve on the MAA Euler Book Prize Committee and as secretary of the BIO SIGMAA, the MAA鈥檚 Special Interest Group for Mathematical and Computational Biology. She looks forward to giving back to an organization that has had such a profound impact on her career.

鈥淧ersonally, to be selected for this award is incredibly rewarding because it recognizes the work that brings me the greatest joy鈥攚orking with students,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淧rofessionally, it affirms the importance of investing in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. At the same time, while the Alder Award recognizes excellence in teaching, I see it as a celebration of continuous growth rather than perfection. Every meaningful step in my career has been shaped by challenges and the lessons I learned from them. Those experiences have made me a more thoughtful teacher, a better mentor and a more resilient person.鈥�

Throughout her career, Ryu has mentored nearly 40 undergraduate researchers while striving to create an environment where all students, especially women, first-generation college students and international students feel welcomed, supported and confident that they belong in mathematics.

鈥淲atching students develop confidence in themselves and discover what they are capable of has been the most rewarding part of my career,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淥ne of the things I value most at 乱伦视频 is the opportunity to know students as individuals and to help them grow both academically and personally. This award recognizes one individual, but it reflects the collective efforts of many people who have supported me throughout my career.鈥�

Ryu joined the MAA as a graduate student. Early in her career she participated in Project NExT, the MAA鈥檚 nationally recognized professional development program for new mathematics faculty. The program connected her with a community of educators who encouraged her to think more intentionally about teaching, mentoring and leadership.

鈥淢any of the ideas I use today鈥攊nquiry-based learning, creating inclusive classrooms and integrating undergraduate research into teaching鈥攚ere strengthened through that experience,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淩eceiving the Alder Award from the same organization makes this recognition especially meaningful because it feels like coming full circle.鈥�

Ryu was honored with the award at the 2026 MAA MathFest annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts on August 7. As part of the award ceremony, she will deliver an award address titled 鈥淔rom Outlier to Teacher-Scholar-Mentor: Lessons from Productive Struggle.鈥� The talk reflects Ryu鈥檚 personal and professional journey and how challenges, setbacks, and unexpected experiences shaped her teaching philosophy and mentoring approach.

Created in 2003, the Henry L. Alder Award is presented annually to up to three early-career college or university mathematics faculty members in recognition of extraordinary success and effectiveness in undergraduate mathematics education and for an impact that extends beyond their own classrooms.

The MAA is the world鈥檚 largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts.

Viral myocarditis is a potentially serious condition in which a viral infection triggers excessive inflammation that damages the heart. When the body detects the virus, it activates an immediate defense system called the innate immune response. That response is necessary for controlling the infection, but if it is too strong, lasts too long or occurs at the wrong time; the resulting inflammation can also damage heart tissue. Their project seeks to understand why the immune response sometimes protects the heart and, at other times, contributes to injury.

A mathematical model allows Ryu and Rivera-Serrano to create a simplified, virtual representation of what is happening inside the infected heart in ways that are currently impossible to achieve using biology and experiments alone. They will use equations to describe how the amount of virus changes over time, how different heart and immune cells respond, how those cells communicate through signaling molecules, and how those interactions influence inflammation and tissue damage.

鈥淥ur goal is to develop a mathematical model that integrates several biological processes occurring during viral myocarditis, including viral replication, infection and death of heart muscle cells, activation of antiviral defenses, recruitment of immune cells, inflammatory signaling and longer-term tissue damage,鈥� said Ryu, associate professor of mathematics.

This will be a highly interdisciplinary project. Ryu, as a principal investigator, will lead the development, simulation and mathematical analysis of the model, while Rivera-Serrano, as a co-principal investigator, will provide expertise in virology, cell biology and innate immunity and will lead the experimental component.

鈥淭he mathematical and laboratory work will inform one another鈥攅xperimental findings will help us make the model more biologically realistic, while predictions from the model will help us decide which biological interactions and hypotheses should be tested in the laboratory with undergraduate researchers here at 乱伦视频,鈥� Ryu said.

The project combines computational research, led by Ryu, with hands-on laboratory experiments, led by Rivera-Serrano.

鈥淚n the laboratory, we will grow heart and immune cells to examine how viral infection changes the behavior and biochemical signals produced and received by these distinct cell types,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淲e will measure outcomes such as viral infection and replication, cell survival or death, and the production of antiviral and inflammatory signaling molecules鈥�.

These experiments will provide currently unavailable data that can be incorporated into the mathematical model and used to evaluate whether the model accurately reflects biological behavior. The process will also work in the other direction: if the model predicts that a particular cell type, signaling molecule or time point has an especially strong effect on inflammation, they can design experiments to test that prediction. Rather than treating the laboratory and mathematical components as separate projects, Ryu and Rivera-Serrano see them as a continuous feedback loop.

This research is important because the body needs a strong enough response to control the virus, but excessive or prolonged inflammation can weaken the heart, interfere with its electrical activity, and contribute to heart failure or other serious complications. Although many aspects of viral myocarditis have been studied, it remains difficult to understand how the different cardiac and immune cells communicate and how their interactions collectively shape disease progression over time.

鈥淏y combining mathematical modeling with laboratory experiments, we can gain insights into the immune response that neither approach could achieve independently,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淭his allows us to integrate existing knowledge, identify the most influential biological mechanisms, and determine which questions are the most important to investigate experimentally. Ultimately, our goal is to provide researchers with a better roadmap for understanding when inflammation is protective and when it begins to damage the heart. That knowledge could guide future studies aimed at developing safer and more effective treatments for viral myocarditis.鈥�

By the end of the project, Ryu and Rivera-Serrano hope to have developed and experimentally evaluated a mathematical framework that explains how viral replication, antiviral immunity, inflammatory signaling, and communication among heart and immune cells shape the progression of viral myocarditis.

Undergraduate research will be a central component to this project. Students from biology, mathematics, engineering and related STEM disciplines will be able to contribute according to their interests and expertise while also learning how researchers communicate and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.

Students may help review scientific literature, design the model, estimate biological parameters, write and analyze computer simulations, conduct cell biology and biochemical experiments, analyze experimental data and compare laboratory findings with model predictions. They will also gain experience communicating their work through research presentations, national conferences and scientific publications.

鈥淎 particularly valuable aspect of the project is that students will not be limited to one narrow role,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淎 biology student may learn how experimental observations are converted into equations, while a mathematics or engineering student may learn how assumptions in a model correspond to actual cellular processes. Learning to communicate across disciplines is one of the most valuable skills students can develop for today鈥檚 biomedical research, where many important problems require expertise from multiple fields.鈥�

Crosby, an exercise science and dance science major, Honors Fellow and Lumen Scholar, is researching how neural activity differs between creating and performing dance, exploring the connection between movement, creativity and brain function.

Through her Lumen Prize project, Crosby will investigate which areas of the brain are most active during dance and how different environments, such as performing on stage or outdoors, influence neural processes.

“What excited me most about this research is the creative process and measuring something that is usually seen as subjective,” Crosby said. “This research allows me to study dance not just as an art form, but as a complex neurological process.”

Crosby’s project combines two passions that have shaped her life. She has been dancing since she was seven years old and later attended Weaver Academy, a performing and visual arts school in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she focused on dance while studying technique, choreography and anatomy.

Now, she is combining her dance background and scientific interests to examine questions about cognition and movement.

Using electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology, from internal and external resources, Crosby plans to track brainwave patterns while participants dance and engage in creative movement tasks. The data will help identify which regions of the brain are active during different stages of movement and choreography, offering new insight into the relationship between physical movement and neural function.

Crosby plans to use a portion of her Lumen Prize funding for research-related equipment and data collection.

“Having access to EEG and fNIRS equipment is essential because it allows me to collect real-time data on brain activity during movement,” Crosby said. “Without it, I wouldn’t be able to objectively measure what’s happening in the brain during dance.”

Crosby had the recent opportunity to experience the technology firsthand when representatives from NIRx Medical Technologies and ANT Neuro visited campus to demonstrate specialized neuroscience equipment that could expand opportunities for student learning and research.

During one demonstration, Crosby wore a portable fNIRS device while dancing and moving freely as software collected real-time brain activity. Unlike traditional neuroscience equipment, which is tethered to amplifiers and computers, the demonstrated technology was fully mobile, allowing Crosby to collect data in natural environments rather than limiting studies to laboratory settings.

“Having access to this portable equipment is important because it allows researchers to study movement in dynamic, real-world environments rather than limiting research to traditional laboratory settings,” said Associate Professor Matt Wittstein, director of neuroscience at 乱伦视频 and Crosby鈥檚 research mentor.

For Crosby, the portability of the equipment could be transformative. Rather than studying participants in controlled laboratory environments, researchers can collect data while dancers move naturally in rehearsal spaces or other settings that more accurately reflect real-world experiences.

The demonstrations also highlighted broader opportunities for interdisciplinary research across campus. Students and faculty observed how the technology captures and analyzes neural activity in real time, creating possibilities for research projects that connect neuroscience, exercise science, dance and psychology.

“Getting access to this equipment opens the door for more interdisciplinary research,” Crosby said. “Students in exercise science, dance, psychology and neuroscience can all use it to explore different questions about movement, performance and the brain. It allows for more innovative and data-driven projects that go beyond traditional research methods.”

Beyond individual research projects, the technology could support new courses, mentorship opportunities and collaborative experiences for students interested in neuroscience. The equipment also creates opportunities for community outreach and partnerships with industry leaders, helping students gain experience with tools commonly used in professional and research settings.

“Access to this equipment also opens the doors for more unique studio projects, mentorship and courses such as a lab-based psychophysiology course,” Wittstein said. “As the program continues to grow, a goal is to have a capstone seminar for students to all create a miniature neuroscience project, and equipment like this would make that possible.”

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on 乱伦视频鈥檚 campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

“The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest milestones in a student鈥檚 life, and after working with first-year students for many years, I鈥檝e learned that one of the most common things they say is 鈥業 wish I had known what to expect,鈥�” said Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs. 鈥淧hoenix Summer gives students the opportunity to experience college before they get here full time.鈥�

Students lived in the residence halls, navigated campus, ate in the dining hall, learned from 乱伦视频 faculty, connected with staff and explored the academic and social opportunities 乱伦视频 has to offer.

Students selected two courses to take throughout the camp, including Order in the court!, An introduction to law and justice, taught by Shilanka Lewis, assistant professor of law; Chemistry in the kitchen, taught by Mary McManamy, associate teaching professor of chemistry; Exploring astronomical and poetic light, taught by Claudine Moreau, assistant teaching professor of physics; and Start-up Spring: concept to creation, taught by Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship and Dan Reis, assistant director of creative learning technologies.

鈥淭he Phoenix Summer faculty were truly the highlight of this pre-college experience,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭heir enthusiasm, passion and genuine engagement with their subject matter inspired students to see college as a place to explore their interests and discover new possibilities.鈥�

Each day the students spent time learning and engaging in the classroom through a variety of hands-on lessons.

“The law class was my favorite part of the camp,鈥� said Ava Hendricks, an eleventh grade student from Raleigh, North Carolina. 鈥淚 have always been interested in law and what we have been doing in the class to prepare for a mock trial has been so cool. Phoenix Summer gave me the opportunity to picture college. I would never have known what college would be like without this possibility.鈥�

During the day, students participated in their courses, while evenings and weekends were filled with social events, activities, several off-campus excursions and signature 乱伦视频 experiences to help students build community. Activities students participated in included a trivia night, human bingo, s鈥檓ore making, karaoke, a water balloon fight and a sip and paint.

“My favorite parts of the camp were meeting new people, living in a dorm and attending the classes,鈥� said Sienna Rohan, a twelfth grade student from Greensboro, Georgia. “It鈥檚 been nice meeting new people, and I鈥檝e learned a lot about 乱伦视频.鈥�

Higgins’ hope is that students left the camp聽with not only a greater appreciation for 乱伦视频, but also a renewed excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead as the students transition from high school to college.

鈥淭he primary goal of Phoenix Summer is to provide high school students with an authentic college experience that builds confidence, independence and a sense of belonging before they begin their college journey,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭he most exciting part of the camp was watching the students truly thrive in the experiences we intentionally designed for them.

鈥淚 watched them blossom from students who arrived on the first day feeling nervous and uncertain about what to expect into confident, engaged learners 鈥� and, in the case of our Order in the Court students, budding lawyers in training. I hope they leave believing in themselves. Whether they ultimately choose 乱伦视频 or another institution, I hope 乱伦视频 will always hold a special place in their hearts as the place where they first experienced college and began to see themselves as future college students.鈥�

For more information about Phoenix Summer and information about future camps, contact Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs, at thiggings7@elon.edu.

Bishop is serving as a summer intern at the Office of Historic Alexandria, which oversees all the museums in Historic Alexandria. During her internship, she catalogs artifacts in the city archives, assists with citywide events and cleans museum collections. One of her biggest projects has been designing and proposing an interactive activity to accompany an exhibit at the Alexandria Black History Museum.

“Since being at this internship, I have learned how different departments in the museum environment interact with each other,鈥� Bishop said. 鈥淚 have worked with museum educators, archivists, archaeologists and directors and have seen how their roles overlap and work together. I鈥檝e also learned practical skills like collections handling, through cleaning the collections, and archival practices.鈥�

Bishop鈥檚 favorite part of the internship has been working with her co-intern to develop the interactive activity for the Moss Kendrix exhibit at the Alexandria Black History Museum.

鈥淚 have loved getting to apply the research processes I鈥檝e learned in my art history and history classes at 乱伦视频 to a real-world exhibition,鈥� Bishop said.

While searching for an internship to accompany Capital Connections, a Study USA program in Washington, D.C., Bishop expanded her search beyond the city. She discovered Old Town Alexandria community-centered network of museums, preservation projects, archaeology and public programming. She jumped at the opportunity to work in a smaller office where she would get hands-on, diversified experience in several areas of museum work.

She learned about the internship through George Mason University鈥檚 database of history internships, which was recommended by Cindy Sweeney in the Student Professional Development Center.

The internship has helped Bishop explore different areas of museum work while preparing her for a future career in the field.

鈥淭his internship has exposed me to several areas of museum work that I was not previously familiar with, which has allowed me to test which parts I enjoy and want to pursue further,鈥� Bishop said. 鈥淚 will take away significant hands-on experience in the museum space and strong connections with several staff members at the Office of Historic Alexandria.鈥�

As she enters her senior year at 乱伦视频, Bishop has developed a passion for museum education, an area she is considering pursuing in graduate school. After graduation, Bishop plans to gain professional experience before attending graduate school.

Thirteen students participated in AI Play, held June 15-19 in Lindner Hall on 乱伦视频鈥檚 campus, where they learned about artificial intelligence while improving their AI literacy.

“The camp provides a way for students to get interested in this technology in an unplugged way,鈥� said Alexis Goslen, an assistant professor or computer science. 鈥淲e used a lot of 鈥榰nplugged鈥� activities that do not involve computers like 鈥楪uess Whose Face,鈥� a game where the students act as the facial recognition system and we introduce the concepts by connecting it to unlocking your phone.鈥�

Students participated in several hands-on learning activities that introduced concepts about pathfinding, perception and machine learning, speech recognition and more.

鈥淲e did an activity about facial recognition and that was really cool to see how AI uses facial recognition in our everyday devices and how a few viewpoints can map out entire facial features,鈥� said Trisha Anna, a seventh grader at Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina.

The camp focused every day on a 鈥渂ig idea鈥� of an artificial intelligence concept. Students learned about concepts and worked in groups to apply the concept before ending with a group discussion on ethics.

鈥淭he ethics discussions were my favorite part of camp,鈥� Goslen said. 鈥淭he students seemed excited to talk about different scenarios using AI and they had really interesting perspectives. The discussions showed how the camp was challenging their thinking and I loved seeing students鈥� engagement in that.鈥�

The activities throughout the week gave students the opportunity to problem solve, learn the basics of artificial intelligence, coding and ethics.

鈥淚 wanted to attend AI Play because I really wanted to learn AI and how to use it without doing anything bad and I also thought it would be a fun experience to try something new and meet new friends,鈥� said Caitlyn Stephens, a seventh grader at Blessed Sacrament School in Burlington, North Carolina.

Throughout the week, Goslen noticed the students’ learning and growing.

鈥淲e held a workshop where students got to see the 乱伦视频 robot dog and the campers were amazed by it,鈥� Goslen said. 鈥淭hey had so many questions and their questions were often based on material we had covered in the camp. It was nice to hear their questions because it demonstrated the knowledge they gained from the camp.鈥�

As technology and artificial intelligence grow more prevalent in everyday life, it is important for education about these technologies to be introduced earlier, Goslen said.

Goslen said she hopes the camp sparked students’ interest in technology, computer science and engineering and remember the concepts when they interact with technology and choose how to use it.

The campers agreed.

鈥淪ome of the new skills I learned at the camp were the proper way to use AI and how it has such a big impact on our everyday lives,鈥� Anna said. 鈥淲ith AI changing so rapidly it is important for all middle schoolers to have somewhat of a grasp on it.”

For more information about AI Play and information about future camps, contact Alexis Goslen, assistant professor of computer science, at agoslen2@elon.edu.

How the course works

The capstone experience spans two courses. In the winter term, GAM 4100, cross-disciplinary teams form and move through pre-production 鈥� developing concepts, building early prototypes and laying out a project plan. In GAM 4200 during the spring semester, those same teams advance through the full production pipeline: pre-alpha, alpha, pre-beta, beta, gold master and release.

Throughout both semesters, teams follow the Scrum framework 鈥� holding sprints, daily standups and milestone reviews like a professional studio would. Students take on defined roles in the development process, including programmer, level designer, environment designer, and narrative designer, and are accountable for delivering at each stage.

“I think the ultimate skills gained from the capstone experience are working under constraints and collaboration,” said Pratheep Paranthaman, associate professor of computer science and coordinator of the game design minor. “We don’t always know what technical complexities we’ll run into, or what might slow the development process. But that’s where the real learning happens 鈥� solving the unknown, working through an ambiguous development landscape.”

The games

鈥� Angry Sea Studios

鈥淵our Friend, Sam鈥� is a mystery adventure and puzzle game, where players return as the childhood friend of a boy who vanished a decade ago. Collecting clues, solving puzzles, and fighting off corrupted creatures, players work to piece together what happened. The game launched on April 29.

For Aidan Spoerndle ’27, who served as a gameplay programmer on the project, seeing it go live was the payoff for months of sustained work.

“It feels really exciting to have a project that I tirelessly worked months creating actually be published for everyone to play,” Spoerndle said.

Keeping the technical scope in check, he said, was what made it achievable.

“There’s no such thing as a small game,鈥� Spoerndle said. 鈥淭he reason we were able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time was that we kept the technical aspects enclosed in a smaller scope and allowed our narrative and art elements to exist in a larger scope.”

Carter Puckett ’26, also a gameplay programmer on the team, says the minor’s coursework prepared the team for what production actually demands.

“The minor helped me understand the full process of making a game 鈥� game design principles that make games fun, playable, and achievable,鈥� Puckett said “In game development, you will always run into things that you are unfamiliar with or don’t know how to do. 鈥淜nowing how to do research and use online resources is essential to improving your skills.”

鈥� InDecision Studio

鈥淥nslaught鈥� is an action-adventure game set in Betham, a decaying western mining town suspended above a sea of clouds. Players take on fighting toward Sanctuary, climbing and battling through vertical environments in third-person combat while managing resources against escalating enemies. It was released on May 14.

Owen Crider ’26, who served as a level designer, says the production process that never quite ran smoothly 鈥� and a team that worked through it anyway.

“We encountered a lot of bugs, and even though it seemed like every week there was something new to deal with, we always sorted it out,” Crider said. “I also learned how important it is to always be talking to your team.”

Beyond the technical work, Crider said, the program offered something harder to quantify.

“The game design program for me is really a community,鈥� Crider said. 鈥淚’ve built lots of friendships with people who are funny and helpful. Since everyone knows the problems and how tough it is to make a game, everyone is encouraging of one another.”

Noah Gartenberg ’27 says game development also comes with intense demands.

鈥淭here are so many different parts and finding ways to conserve energy and momentum becomes extremely important despite any and all setbacks,” Gartenberg said. “You need to rely on and trust whoever you are working with, because that is the only way to make any sizable game in any decent amount of time without burnout.”

鈥淏ack In my Day,鈥� is a strategy-puzzle game built around an unusual mechanic: time only moves when the player moves. Players guide a grandma home from work through levels that mix puzzle logic and projectile-based encounters. The game was

released on May 5.

What students take away

Several students pointed to the game design minor’s coursework 鈥� and its faculty 鈥� as what made the capstone possible.

“All of the knowledge and expertise from Dr. Paranthaman and Professor Hollingsworth helped me think through various problems in ways I never would have without the courses,” Spoerndle said.

Puckett encourages other students to add game design as a minor.

“Every class in the game design minor was the class I most looked forward to that day,鈥� Puckett said. 鈥淚 hope that if any 乱伦视频 student has any interest in making games, they try out the game design minor because it is a great opportunity.”

Noah Gartenberg says the class left him ready for more.

“In the minor, we learned various aspects of working in modern game engines, and we learned the fundamentals of game design, in addition to how to work with others who may not come from the same disciplines as we do,鈥� Gartenberg said.聽 鈥淢any of the classes left me with a whetted appetite for more game development, more creativity, more discussion with like-minded individuals. The program succeeds at teaching how to make games 鈥� in spades.”

That breadth of games is intentional, and the program’s aim is never purely technical.

“Our goal is to make not only game developers, but also project managers 鈥� people with leadership skills in decision-making and problem solving,鈥� Paranthaman said. 鈥淭he central core of what we do is student learning, community, and creative ownership: giving students the space to build something real, together, and see it through to the end.”

Looking ahead, Paranthaman says the program will continue to grow its library of published titles and deepen the studio simulation experience 鈥� building transferable skills in project management, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and problem solving that students can carry into adjacent industries, from software development and UX design to film production and beyond.

“Publishing twelve games on Steam is a milestone worth noting,” Paranthaman said. “But what it really represents is twelve teams of students who learned that they could start something hard and finish it. That’s the skill we’re building.”

All 12 games published by 乱伦视频 game design minor students are free to play on Steam.