Despite a mix of rain and sunshine, staff members in Student Life and Residence Life worked to make the Move-In Day process as seamless as possible for students and their families. Student organizations and 乱伦视频 Athletics teams also lent a hand, helping unload vehicles and carry students鈥� belongings into their new homes.

Familiar items in a new home

For many members of the Class of 2030, those belongings include more than the essentials for college life. As they begin a new chapter at 乱伦视频, students brought photographs, books, keepsakes and other reminders of the people and places they call home.

Ale Furano 鈥�30 arrived at 乱伦视频 from Greenwich, Connecticut, with three Polaroid photos of his family and friends. A Communications Fellow who plans to study sport management, Furano said he is looking forward to the opportunities ahead.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to meet new people and have a great opportunity and a new way of life,鈥� Furano said. 鈥淚 think the opportunities at 乱伦视频 are really great, especially in the sport management field.鈥�

Avery McTigue 鈥�30, who plans to study nursing, is looking forward to joining clubs and organizations and exploring study abroad opportunities. Among the items making her new room feel more like home is an 乱伦视频-themed Jellycat plush toy with a special connection to her friends.

鈥淭he special item I brought from home is my 乱伦视频 鈥楯ellycat,鈥欌�� said McTigue, who is from Bergen County, New Jersey. 鈥淢y friends threw a 鈥榖ed party鈥� for me, and it reminds me of them. Basically, they decorate your whole room, and it鈥檚 all 乱伦视频 stuff.鈥�

For George Schneider 鈥�30, from Seattle, Washington, the move to 乱伦视频 meant finding room for his vinyl collection. Schneider chose 乱伦视频 because of its acting program. The Princeton Review recently ranked 乱伦视频 No. 1 for Best College Theater, while The Hollywood Reporter included 乱伦视频 on its list of the “25 Best Drama Schools in the World.”

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited to be independent and expand on my training,鈥� Schneider said. 鈥淚 brought my record player and about 20 of my records. I knew I wasn鈥檛 going to bring a lot for my room, but I wanted to bring something to remember home by.鈥�

An avid reader, Ryan Parker 鈥�30, who plans to study journalism, made sure one of her books made the trip from Dallas, Texas. For Parker, attending 乱伦视频 also means experiencing a new part of the country.

鈥淚 chose 乱伦视频 because I felt it was the best for me, and I felt it would be a good transition as well,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淚鈥檓 most excited to meet new people, especially being from Texas and being in a different part of the country.鈥�

A class from around the world

The students arriving on campus bring a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and academic interests. Members of the incoming class come from 40 states and Washington, D.C., as well as 19 countries, including Singapore, Spain, Norway, Canada, Serbia, South Korea, China and New Zealand.

The most represented states are North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Illinois.

Fourteen percent of incoming students are the first in their families to attend college. The class also enters 乱伦视频 with a strong academic record, with an average high school GPA of 4.09.

Students are bringing a broad range of academic interests to campus. The 10 most popular intended majors among incoming students are psychology, finance, biology, business analytics & AI, marketing, nursing, exercise science, elementary education, sport management and political science.

Several programs are seeing notable increases in interest compared with last year鈥檚 incoming class. The number of new students intending to major in elementary education increased 41%, while finance increased 39% and biology increased 16%.

The community classroom experience

Those statistics are reflected in the individual journeys bringing students to 乱伦视频.

Alexis Jacobs 鈥�30 of Westport, Connecticut, was drawn to the university because of its size and sense of community. To personalize her new space, Jacobs brought handmade frames filled with reminders of the people, places and experiences important to her.

鈥淚 made these frames with different prints, photos, places I鈥檝e been and family members,鈥� Jacobs said.

Peter Matijevic 鈥�30, who plans to study business analytics and applied mathematics, brought a reminder of his Massachusetts roots: a Drake Maye NFL jersey.

鈥淚t reminds me of Massachusetts and my favorite NFL player,鈥� Matijevic said. 鈥淚 chose 乱伦视频 because it鈥檚 a beautiful campus and has small classes, so I could get to know my teachers.鈥�

乱伦视频’s teacher-scholar-mentor model among its faculty is a touchstone of the university’s academic experience. For five years in a row, 乱伦视频 has been ranked best in the nation for undergraduate teaching, and The Princeton Review recently ranked the university as No. 4 Best Classroom Experience.

Following Move-In Day, students attend New Student Orientation, including New Student Convocation on Saturday, Aug. 22.

University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Rev. Kirstin Boswell opened the event with the invocation, followed by the tradition of the bell ringing by Student Government Association President聽Michael Swartz 鈥�27. The bell arrived in North Carolina in 1854 on one of the first North Carolina railroad trains. It was later used at Graham College, a predecessor institution to 乱伦视频 College.

During the event, three individuals with strong ties to the university were awarded the 乱伦视频 Medallion, the university’s most prestigious service honor: Jim Donathan, longtime associate director of academic advising and academic support; Mary Thornton, founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group; and Don Grady, associate professor emeritus of cinema and television arts.

Katy Rouse, professor of economics in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, was named the Trustee Chair for Excellence.聽For seventeen years, Rouse has taught 乱伦视频’s Principles of Economics and Intermediate Microeconomics courses, along with a capstone she built herself on educational disparities in the United States, earning student evaluations among the highest in her department for more than a decade.

She has personally mentored more than 30 senior and honors theses, co-authored research with undergraduates, chaired the Love School’s curriculum committee and published her teaching scholarship in the Journal of Economic Education.

“I truly believe that being a teacher scholar mentor at 乱伦视频 is one of the best careers I’m going to have,” Rouse said. “Every day we come to work, we have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students during one of the most pivotal points in their lives.”

Mapping the course

During her annual Opening Day address, Book reflected on 乱伦视频鈥檚 progress while looking toward a year that will include the launch of new academic initiatives, continued work surrounding artificial intelligence, the opening of the Roberts Academy and the planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte.

Book centered her remarks around the idea of a map 鈥� the markers that show where 乱伦视频 has been and the guideposts that will help the university navigate what comes next. The theme was inspired by a visit this summer to 乱伦视频 students participating in the Summer Opera Workshop at the Accademia Europea di Firenze. The students came together for a historic production of 鈥淭he Light in the Piazza鈥� in Florence, Italy, where the musical is set.

As part of their work, students were also tasked with creating a map of the city, something that inspired Book.

鈥淭here is something powerful in this mapmaking assignment, and it left me wondering about our collective 乱伦视频 map,鈥� Book said. 鈥淗ow would we each draw it?鈥�

At the center of that map, Book said, is 乱伦视频鈥檚 mission. She highlighted several markers of progress during the past year, including the Odyssey Program surpassing 300 scholarships, record participation in undergraduate research, strong Fulbright success and new academic programs, including cybersecurity, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Charlotte PA program. She also celebrated the upcoming launch of the School of Engineering and Computing under inaugural Dean John Walz and the growth of the university鈥檚 nursing program.

Mapping new territory (together)

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the first students of the聽Roberts Academy at 乱伦视频聽will arrive at the school’s temporary home in Trollinger House. The school will be the聽state’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. Book described the academy and the Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning as an opportunity that 鈥渨ill change lives from day one.鈥�

Among the most significant new territory is 乱伦视频鈥檚 planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte. Book noted that the institutions received accreditation approval this summer to proceed with their merger, with a single Board of Trustees now overseeing both universities. Sixteen administrative units are also becoming shared teams supporting the two campuses, while a federal review of the merger is expected to take 18 to 24 months.

Megan Isaac, professor of English, and Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Jim Piatt gave brief updates on the merger as part of the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee.

鈥淥ur two institutions will be stronger together, will better serve students together, and will have a brighter future together,鈥� Book said. 鈥淎nd now, we are working to build that vision together, to grow opportunity to advance learning 鈥� together.鈥�

Mapping a new look

Athletics Director Jennifer Strawley was also invited to the stage to announce a for the university鈥檚 athletics program, which had what Book called a 鈥渇ormidable year,鈥� with seven 乱伦视频 teams, the most in the university鈥檚 history, winning conference titles. A new physical mascot will be unveiled at the first College Coffee of the academic year on Aug. 25.

“The new Phoenix wears a gold sweater with a monogram ‘E,’ paying tribute to our first mascot, the Fighting Christian,” Strawley said. “The focused expression conveys the determination, confidence and purpose that defines our university community. The Phoenix continues to be fueled by the flames, symbolizing our rebuild from the ashes, and capturing the spirit and resilience of the 乱伦视频 community.”

Book acknowledged that the changing higher education landscape brings challenges, from enrollment pressures and federal regulations to declining public confidence. But she reminded faculty and staff that adapting to change has long been part of 乱伦视频鈥檚 history.

鈥淚 understand change can be daunting. Shifting national headwinds are challenging higher education,鈥� Book said. 鈥淔ortunately for us, 乱伦视频 has never succeeded by standing still. We鈥檝e joined together, developed new strategies and guided by our mission 鈥� built the number one institution for engaged learning and student success.鈥�

She closed by returning to the journey ahead, and the role faculty and staff play in shaping the lives of 乱伦视频 students.

鈥淚t is not simply education; it is a journey of human transformation,鈥� Book said. 鈥淭hank you for the everyday commitment, kindness and integrity that are our enduring guideposts.鈥�

He quickly learned just how many steps that takes.

As a quality engineer co-op, Coughenour is supporting the launch of ALTA Rounds, a new plastic-free coffee pod. Working with the quality team, he has contributed to product trials, data analysis and quality checks on the manufacturing floor.

鈥淏eing in the plant has shown me that a product launch is not just one big step, but a lot of smaller steps that all must come together,鈥� Coughenour said.

He was drawn to the opportunity because it paired hands-on manufacturing experience with a product designed to reduce environmental impact.

鈥淣o week looked exactly the same as we prepared for the launch,鈥� Coughenour said. 鈥淚 collected samples and interpreted data during quality and R&D trials, led two associates at the end of the production line, and worked with outside companies to calibrate and test equipment.鈥�

The experience also changed how he thinks about quality in manufacturing.

鈥淨uality is not just about inspecting a final product,鈥� Coughenour said. 鈥淚t is about understanding the process, identifying opportunities for improvement and helping ensure consistency from start to finish.鈥�

One of his most meaningful responsibilities was helping coordinate, establish and lead end-of-line quality checks. The work gave him a direct role in determining whether the product consistently met quality standards.

鈥淚 was trusted with a responsibility that directly tied into the quality of the product,鈥� Coughenour said. 鈥淚t helped me see how my work fit into the bigger picture of the ALTA Rounds launch.鈥�

Coughenour also worked on improving the calibration process to make it more automated and efficient.

Together, those projects gave him hands-on experience in operations, problem-solving and production while showing him how much coordination goes into maintaining product quality.

The internship also helped clarify the kind of work he wants to pursue.

鈥淚 want to do work where I can see the impact of what I am doing,鈥� Coughenour said. 鈥淏eing at KDP has shown me that I enjoy the hands-on side of supply chain, especially when it involves operations, problem-solving and production.鈥�

He also wants that work to contribute to environmental sustainability. Supporting the development of a plastic-free coffee pod showed him how supply chain and manufacturing roles can connect day-to-day operations with a broader purpose.

鈥淜nowing that my work could contribute, even in a small way, to environmental sustainability gives me a greater sense of purpose and motivation,鈥� he said.

His advice to other students is to stay open to unfamiliar work and bring consistent effort to the experience.

鈥淏e open, persistent and dedicated,鈥� Coughenour said. 鈥淏e open to asking questions and taking on new challenges. What you put into this experience is ultimately what you will get out of it.鈥�

Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics Devon Hawkins about the cost of data storage following the social media app Snapchat announcing it would begin charging some users for its in-app storage.

The app announced last September that it would begin charging users for its in-app storage called “Memories” when usage exceeds five gigabytes. Anyone over that threshold was notified and given a year of temporary storage. The article highlights how its causing some users to lose access to imporant life milestones and memories.

“People think cloud storage is this invisible thing floating in the sky,” said Hawkins. “Those servers live in massive data centers that require land, buildings, electricity, cooling systems, engineering, cybersecurity and thousands of people to keep everything running. That infrastructure isn’t free, and eventually someone must pay for it.”

Kaitlyn Niestoeckel 鈥�28, an accounting and public policy major in the Business Fellow and Odyssey Program, earned first place in the Project Run With It competition as part of a team composed of students from different universities. Together, the students completed a consulting project for a nonprofit organization in the Baltimore area. Niestoeckel will receive a plaque, and 乱伦视频鈥檚 Beta Alpha Psi chapter will receive a $1,000 award.

Izzy Butler 鈥�28, an accounting and business analytics major in the Business Fellow Program, and Dylan Rogers 鈥�27,聽an accounting major in 乱伦视频鈥檚 Accelerated 3+1 Business Dual-Degree Program, also represented 乱伦视频 during the meeting鈥檚 Chapter Operations session, where they delivered a presentation to fellow Beta Alpha Psi members.

Patty Cox, assistant professor of accounting, serves as faculty adviser for and accompanied the students to the annual meeting.

Beta Alpha Psi is an international honor organization for students and professionals in accounting, finance and information systems.

鈥淚 wanted something that would challenge me even more,鈥� Keicher said. 鈥淪omething without the training wheels.鈥�

His manager responded by turning over a raw-material sourcing project that had originally been part of his own workload. Keicher researched potential suppliers, analyzed sourcing options and developed a strategy that he later presented to senior leaders in supply chain management and engineering.

The project became one of the most meaningful parts of his internship.

鈥淚 asked for another project because I wanted to push myself,鈥� Keicher said. 鈥淏eing trusted with that level of responsibility gave me the chance to work through the strategy independently and present my recommendation to company leaders.鈥�

The opportunity also connected Keicher with an interest that began years earlier. He took flight lessons throughout high school, developing an early passion for aviation and firsthand familiarity with the industry.

He soon realized, however, that 鈥渘o one likes a creative pilot who wants to test the conventions of flight mid-air.鈥�

Instead, Keicher found a place for that curiosity in aviation manufacturing.

鈥淚 love the aviation industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淣othing is cooler than being able to say you help build jets for a living.鈥�

Keicher, a supply chain management and data analytics major from Sycamore, Ill., worked with Honda Aircraft鈥檚 procurement team at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C.

His internship included production meetings, supplier visits and regular walks through the manufacturing floor. He learned more about sourcing strategy, the purchase-order life cycle and the role procurement plays in keeping aircraft production moving.

One of his first visits to the production floor gave him a closer look at Honda鈥檚 鈥済o to the spot鈥� philosophy. When a part had a quality issue, Keicher went directly to where it was being used and spoke with the technician working with it.

鈥淚 was able to understand what was wrong, why it was wrong and what information the supplier needed to fix the issue,鈥� Keicher said.

The experience helped him see how procurement decisions connect to the work happening on the production floor and how communication among technicians, buyers and suppliers can help resolve problems.

Throughout the summer, Keicher contributed to projects involving sourcing, workload analysis, process improvement and employee training.

He helped develop a Power BI dashboard for the procurement team, created tools intended to streamline internal approval processes and documented procedures for onboarding new suppliers. He also led training sessions for incoming associates.

Keicher took the initiative to propose several updates to the company鈥檚 internship program. His recommendations included resources to help interns set goals with mentors, transfer knowledge to future interns and provide more useful feedback at the end of the experience.

The range of assignments allowed him to work across data analysis, supplier relationships and internal operations while seeing how each area supports a larger manufacturing process.

His coursework at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business helped prepare him for projects that combined supply chain strategy with data analysis and communication.

In Introduction to Supply Chain Management with Coleman Rich, associate teaching professor of operations and supply chain management, Keicher learned tools including RACI matrices and critical path analysis. A course with Vinayaka Gude, assistant professor of business analytics, helped him strengthen his skills in data visualization, dashboard development and communicating findings clearly.

The internship confirmed Keicher鈥檚 interest in building a career in aerospace. It also reinforced the value of asking for the opportunities he wanted rather than waiting for them to appear.

鈥淵ou have to ask the question,鈥� Keicher said. 鈥淎sk for what you want the experience to be. That will define what you get to do.鈥�

The program paired undergraduate students with faculty members to support AI-related projects across the school. Student fellows helped develop and deliver workshops, interview faculty and build materials for future courses and boot camps.

Sakura Kawakami 鈥�26 worked with Scott Oakes, assistant teaching professor of management, and fellow students Julia Amodeo 鈥�26 and Katie Geraghty 鈥�26 on workshops for Gateway classes.

The team visited eight classes and reached approximately 240 students through 20-minute sessions with hands-on exercises. The workshops introduced students to Gemini Pro, available through 乱伦视频, and focused on practical skills such as improving prompts through iteration and added context.

鈥淭he primary goal was to establish a baseline of AI fluency among Gateway students, who are primarily first-year business students,鈥� Oakes said. 鈥淲e also wanted to test whether a short, bootcamp-style training session could effectively introduce students to practical AI skills within a classroom setting.鈥�

Faculty established the project鈥檚 overall objectives before the students joined. Kawakami, Amodeo and Geraghty then helped develop classroom activities, learning objectives, presentation materials, pre- and post-session surveys, and the rollout plan. The students also led the workshops and helped analyze the resulting data.

鈥淢y role as an AI Fellow was to act as a bridge between students and faculty, advising students on how to use AI to enhance their learning, not replace it,鈥� said Kawakami, a Business Analytics and Project Management major from Rotorua, New Zealand. 鈥淭he goal was to make sure students felt confident using these tools in ways that supported them.鈥�

One focus was helping students understand that effective use of AI often requires refining a prompt rather than accepting the first response.

鈥淥ne of our biggest teaching points was the importance of iteration when prompting AI,鈥� Kawakami said. 鈥淏y refining and tailoring your prompts to your own needs, you get far more accurate and useful responses.鈥�

Oakes said the student fellows strengthened the project by bringing their own experiences with AI into the classroom.

鈥淧eer-to-peer learning is incredibly powerful,鈥� he said. 鈥淔irst-year students often feel more comfortable asking questions and exploring new technologies when they see successful upper-level students demonstrating how they actually use those tools.鈥�

Another team worked with Kem Zhang, associate professor of business analytics, on projects designed to support more advanced AI use in business courses.

Thomas Case 鈥�26, a supply chain management and business analytics major from Atlanta, G.A. and Oliver Lorraine 鈥�27, a project management and business analytics major from Red Bank, N.J. gathered input from faculty and developed materials for future workshops. One project focused on Associate Professor David Jiang鈥檚, Bring the Venture to Life entrepreneurship course, where students develop and launch venture ideas.

Based on the needs identified for the course, the team created materials for an 鈥淎I-powered entrepreneurship鈥� workshop covering topics such as prompting for code, e-commerce, payment integration and deployment.

Case led the workshop design and drafted presentation materials. Lorraine documented the development process and built reusable coding templates for future workshops and boot camps.

鈥淭he transition from AI users to AI builders or AI architects is an important distinction because knowing how to use a tool generally is much different than knowing how to use a tool to innovate,鈥� said Case.

Lorraine also created Google Colab notebooks with coding templates for future use.

Zhang said the goal is to help students move beyond basic familiarity with AI tools.

鈥淔or business students, knowing how to use an AI tool is expected,鈥� Zhang said. 鈥淭he real advantage comes when they understand how these tools can be used in problem solving and to create concrete, AI-based solutions.鈥�

Several projects from the spring semester are expected to continue during the 2026-27 academic year, including the entrepreneurship workshop, an AI Boot Camp for incoming students and additional work on AI integration.

The spring 2026 AI Student Fellows were Brandon Boudreau 鈥�27, Thomas Case 鈥�26, Oliver Lorraine 鈥�27, Dylan Stone 鈥�28, Julia Amodeo 鈥�26, Sakura Kawakami 鈥�26, Lindsay Balick 鈥�27, Katie Geraghty 鈥�26, Katrina Papierman 鈥�26 and Tristan D鈥橝damo 鈥�28.

乱伦视频 Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics Devon Hawkins was featured in a recent examining how tariffs are beginning to affect the cost of vehicle repairs for businesses and consumers across the Piedmont Triad.

The story highlights how local auto repair shops are seeing price increases on imported parts, with many warning that those higher costs are likely to be passed on to customers.

“You’re going to see the American people (consumers) taking the brunt of most of that increase in cost with tariffs,” said Hawkins. “We may not see the full impact on consumers. It may take six to 18 months.”

She has had plenty of opportunities to find out.

As a commercial sales operations intern with Labcorp鈥檚 Southeast Division team in Tampa, Fla., Green has worked on projects involving client communication, sales data, finance and presentations. No two assignments have looked exactly the same, which has become one of her favorite parts of the experience.

鈥淚鈥檝e had the opportunity to try a little bit of everything, in both finance and sales, which has helped me discover what I enjoy and what I want to continue exploring,鈥� Green said.

Green was drawn to Labcorp by its mission to improve health and improve lives. She saw the internship as a chance to gain corporate experience while contributing to a company whose work has a direct impact on others.

Throughout the summer, she worked on multiple projects. Some required her to reach out to clients and gather information. Others involved analyzing sales data, creating graphs and tables, and presenting her findings in a way that could help leaders better understand performance.

One assignment challenged Green to make sense of a spreadsheet containing thousands of data points. She built pivot tables to organize the information, identify relevant patterns and answer specific business questions.

鈥淎t first, the volume of data felt overwhelming, but working through it taught me how to organize complex information and use it to answer specific business questions,鈥� Green said.

The experience strengthened more than her technical Excel skills. It showed her how analysts determine what information matters, identify patterns and present their findings in a way that can guide decisions.

鈥淭he project helped me understand how data analysis turns a large amount of information into insights that can support business decisions,鈥� she said.

Another project required Green to translate large amounts of sales data into graphs and tables that leaders could review quickly and use to assess performance.

鈥淚t was rewarding to create something that helped make the data more accessible and gave leaders a clearer view of where the team stood,鈥� Green said. 鈥淭he experience showed me how important it is not only to analyze information, but also to present it in a way that supports decision-making.鈥�

The range of assignments has helped Green build technical skills while also learning more about the kind of work that interests her. She has enjoyed moving between data analysis, problem-solving and collaboration with colleagues across different areas of the business.

Although she has not settled on a specific career path, the internship has clarified what she wants her future work to involve.

鈥淚 want to pursue a career where I can use data to solve problems, contribute to business decisions and do work that has a meaningful impact,鈥� Green said.

Green credits her 乱伦视频 coursework and professors with helping her arrive prepared to contribute. She specifically recognized professors Feng Dong, Brandon Sheridan, Julie Swanner, Lakeisha Vance and Drew Peabody for helping her build the knowledge and confidence she has relied on throughout the summer.

鈥淟ooking back, every class I have taken at 乱伦视频 has helped me in one way or another, whether I realized it at the time or not,鈥� Green said. 鈥淭hey gave me the foundation and confidence I needed to walk into my internship ready to learn, contribute and make the most of every opportunity.鈥�

Her days are full. As a member of the 乱伦视频 women鈥檚 soccer team, Green is often up around 5:45 a.m. for practice before beginning her workday. But between the early mornings, new software and varied assignments, she has learned the value of remaining curious and open to unfamiliar work.

Her advice to other Love School of Business students is to ask questions and take advantage of opportunities outside their comfort zones.

鈥淓very opportunity is a chance to learn something new,鈥� Green said, 鈥渁nd you never know what experience might end up shaping your future career.鈥�

Related Articles

• 乱伦视频 holds largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum
• Personal experience inspires 乱伦视频 student鈥檚 research to help children experiencing homelessness

Dozens of students showcased research projects inspired by personal experiences and academic interests, guided by faculty mentorship, during the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The most recent SURE symposium featured more than 50 students from both 乱伦视频 and Queens University of Charlotte, marking the latest example of collaboration between two institutions in the process of merging into a united community.

鈥淪URE continues to be one of the flagship events of 乱伦视频鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program. This poster session is a celebration of their dedication and growth as budding young scholars,鈥� said Justin Clar, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of chemistry. 鈥淚 was especially pleased that we were joined by amazing students from Queens who shared their work with the 乱伦视频 community.鈥�

At 乱伦视频, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience has for years provided student researchers with a stipend to spend eight weeks working full-time on a project in collaboration with a faculty mentor with substantial and recognized expertise in the discipline.

The program concludes every July with a symposium that deepens students鈥� knowledge of the research experience while offering an opportunity to grow their public speaking and presentation skills.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to share their summer research in a low-stakes environment,” said Kira McEntire, director of undergraduate research and creative work; and associate professor of biology at Queens. “It was also fun to see the 乱伦视频 students sharing their summer projects and to learn about some of the interests of 乱伦视频 colleagues.”

At Queens, the university holds its annual in the spring, a campus-wide celebration of academic inquiry and community impact. The day starts with oral and poster presentations, followed by service activities in the afternoon.

Personal connections

For many students at SURE, like 乱伦视频 student聽Thomas Gress 鈥�27, projects carried a deeply personal connection. Gress designed a four-week study comparing exercise approaches for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, inspired in part by his brother鈥檚 experience with the condition.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include difficulty thinking, severe tiredness, and other issues.

鈥淏efore I started this project, (my brother had) been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight. So, this was something small that I could do to be of use,鈥� said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. 鈥淔or all of these patients, there鈥檚 no other option. There are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.鈥�

Queens student Isabella Sherman 鈥�27 has a love for nature that inspired her to explore plant communities at the Carolina Wildlands Foundation with mentor E. Davis Carter, assistant professor of biology at Queens.

鈥淚t was an excellent experience,鈥� said Sherman, a conservation biology major from Charlotte. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really close to what I want to do with my career. I love research, I love forestry, and every time I went out there, I was like, 鈥楾his is exactly what I want to do.鈥� This kind of information is what people take into consideration when they鈥檙e trying to develop land or provide an additional environment for fauna and flora.鈥�

Mentoring relationships

A common thread among many of the projects was the close relationship students developed with their faculty mentors.

Anna Grace Gilbert 鈥�27, an 乱伦视频 psychology major from Knoxville, Tennessee, says Associate Professor of Psychology Sabrina Perkins 鈥渃ompletely changed鈥� her undergraduate experience through their work studying infant motor development.

鈥淚鈥檝e worked with (Professor Perkins) technically since the summer of my freshman year. I just reached out to her and was like, 鈥業 love babies. I鈥檇 love to work with you,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful. We鈥檝e really bonded over these almost three years.鈥�

For Jack VanValkenburg 鈥�27, a Queens student majoring in data analytics, undergraduate research provided an opportunity to apply his technical skills. He worked with Queens Assistant Professor of Biology Denni Einersson to develop a computerized system for organizing trash collected during community cleanup events.

鈥淚t was a great opportunity to work with people who know more than me. The coding that I鈥檝e done in the past is more analytical and this was more developmental,鈥� said VanValkenburg, who is from Atlanta. 鈥�(Clean-up crews) would go out with field cards, like pencil and paper, and just mark things down, which was super timely and it鈥檚 very inconvenient, and then that just led to a lot of data that wasn鈥檛 being used.”

Pushing through the learning process

乱伦视频 business analytics major Chase Hannibal 鈥�28 examined the sense of belonging among Black business students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. It can sometimes feel isolating as a Black female business student, Hannibal said.

鈥淚 just wanted to see if other students felt that way, and if it was a pattern, what could be fixed,鈥� Hannibal said. 鈥�(I wanted to) let other students know that you鈥檙e not alone.鈥�

Hannibal says her mentor, Shanetta Pendleton, assistant professor of strategic communications, pushed her to be better, even when she was at her 鈥渟topping point.鈥�

鈥淓ven when I felt at the worst of the worst, she supported me throughout everything,鈥� Hannibal said. 鈥淪he was great, and I鈥檓 very excited to work with her in the future.鈥�

Amelia Weaver 鈥�28 also explored the experiences of college students, particularly women. Her 乱伦视频 Honors Fellows research examines the motivations of college-aged women who participate in sports betting after she noticed women were less vocal about the topic in class discussions.

鈥淚t made me think about why the women in the class weren鈥檛 as talkative or excited about their own experiences with sports betting,鈥� said Weaver, a sport management and media analytics double major with a minor in . 鈥淚 wondered if this was because they didn鈥檛 participate, didn鈥檛 care, or they just didn鈥檛 want to say anything.鈥�

Weaver said her mentor, Alex Traugutt, an assistant professor of sport management, has helped guide her through the process.

鈥淗e immediately said, 鈥楾his is going to be a partnership. We鈥檙e going to take steps together. We鈥檙e going to figure this out together. I鈥檓 not just going to throw you into everything,鈥欌�� said Weaver. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been really helpful in the learning process.鈥�