Students across two courses (ENS 1100: Humans and Nature (Spring 2025)Ā and WHE 2850: Perspectives in Personal and Global HealthĀ (Spring 2025)) completed eight outdoor sit spots over the course of a month as part of a course assignment. Students were asked to spend time in an outdoor space on campus, and quietly observe their surroundings, noting a range of sensory experiences, and reflect on the changes in that space over time. Using a pre- and post-test model, they found statistically significant improvements in mindfulness, positive affect, and nature connectedness in students across the two courses.

The newly published article, “,” is authored by ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ faculty, Kelsey Bitting and Jill McSweeney, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ alum Elyssa Kaufman ā€™25 (Environmental Sciences), and graduating senior, Kira Campagna ā€™26, an elementary education major, with a minor in environmental education). The work builds on growing research connecting nature exposure and contemplative practices with improved student wellness and academic outcomes.

Student researchers, Kaufman and Campagna, played a central role throughout the project and have at several undergraduate research and pedagogical conferences. Their project work specifically examined how outdoor mindfulness practices influenced mood, mindful awareness, and studentsā€™ relationship with nature. Their presentations highlighted significant increases in positive affect, nature connectedness and mindfulness among students who completed the sit spot assignment.

In collaboration with Evan Small, additional research this past academic year recruited over 80 students across four courses (i.e., ENS 1100: Humans and Nature (Fall 2025), WHE 1150: Stress and Wellness (Fall 2025), HEU 1719: Foraging and Wild Foods (Fall 2025), and COR 3555: Foraging Wild Food and Medicine (Spring ā€™26)). Using data from these four courses, graduating senior, Abigail Manning (Environmental Sciences) recently explored how sit spots affect studentsā€™ mindfulness and nature connectivity across different majors and disciplines. Her research found that students in nature-focused majors often experienced even stronger gains in mindfulness and nature connectedness through the sit spot practice.

The research team plans to continue building on these findings over the summer. Kiley Sherlock ā€™27, an environmental sciences major, will conduct qualitative analysis on student reflections for her Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, exploring how students define nature and further exploring how the sit spot practice impacts student stress across the semester. The team also plans on additional publications exploring the impact of student demographics, and focus on a practice-oriented piece on how to support colleagues to bring contemplative pedagogies which incorporate nature into their classrooms to support the wellbeing of students and themselves.

Together, the project reflects ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s commitment to engaged learning and undergraduate research, while also contributing meaningful scholarship to conversations around student wellness, mindfulness, and environmental connection.

By using real-world ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ systems for projects, students can learn about sustainability innovation on campus and help improve systems in real time. Students, faculty and staff are also able to and browse potential project ideas.Ā 

Sophie Remisio ’27 is a Lumen Scholar at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, majoring in environmental engineering and applied math. She first became interested in conducting sustainability research while taking an engineering class and learning about the impacts of fertilizer and eutrophication on water bodies.

Her current research explores the use of sorbents to remove PFAS from drinking water. Through this experience, however, she became aware of the large amount of plastic waste generated in the lab setting. She is currently working on developing a regenerative water filter to remove contaminants while addressing waste accumulation, combining her passions for engineering and sustainability.

For students interested in sustainability research but who are unsure of where to start, Remisio mentioned the importance of connecting with professors and peers.

ā€œUse your resources,ā€ she encouraged. ā€œIf youā€™re interested in sustainability but donā€™t know where to begin, reflect on what piques your interest the most in a field.ā€

Students are eligible to apply for research funding through the Sustainability Research Grant program each spring semester. One student is awarded $1000 each academic year for research related to sustainability.

For more information on Campus as a Living Lab, please visit the Office of Sustainabilityā€™s website.

Changing the narrative

SURE is about more than just researching a topic ā€“ the students are exploring personal questions and interests that can spark wide-ranging, impactful conversations.

ā€œI want to change the narrative,ā€ said Fiona Hodge ā€˜26, whose research focuses on the intersectionality of queer college student identity.

Hodge, a psychology major and vice president of the Undergraduate Research Student Association (URSA) identifies as a member of the LBGTQ community and noticed a gap in the research around queer people.

ā€œThe previous research focused on discrimination and talking about queer people, but not focusing on their own perspectives,ā€ said Hodge. ā€œSo, I want to provide research thatā€™s by queer researchers for queer people.ā€

SURE provides an opportunity for students to work with faculty and gain meaningful research experience over the summer, without the pressure of other courses during a typical semester. Students apply for the opportunity, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year.

ā€œUndergraduate research has been shown to have a lot of great benefits for students and faculty, thinking about developing critical thinking and communication skills, which is evident at the SURE presentations,ā€ said Eric Hall, director of undergraduate research and interim assistant provost for scholarship and creative activity. ā€œPresenting at conferences is the way we show our research findings, and this shows students what it would be like if they go to a regional or national conference.ā€

Hodge first started doing research this year and says the experience has gone well, especially with the help of her mentor Adam Kim, assistant professor of psychology.

ā€œThis is my first-time presenting research. Iā€™m excited. It feels really cool to see your research come to life,ā€ Hodge said. ā€œMy mentor pushes me to work harder and be more creative, to think outside of the box and not just come up with an okay question but with an interesting question.ā€

Queerness in the classroom

The child of two educators, a future teacher and a queer-identifying student, Lindsey Hefty ā€™25 also turned to her LGBTQ+ identity for research.

ā€œI wanted to combine my major of elementary education with my minor in womenā€™s, gender and sexualities studies with all the discourse surrounding queerness in schools. Thereā€™s been a lot of negativity,ā€ said Hefty, who is also an ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Teaching Fellow. ā€œThere is a lot of legislation thatā€™s making it impossible for queer identifies to exist in educational spaces.ā€

The debate over LGBTQ+ issues in public schools has been a hot-button political issue in the last several years. In 2023, North Carolina passed theĀ  ā€œParents Bill of Rights,ā€ which requires teachers to notify parents if a student questions their gender or uses different pronouns.

In collaboration with her mentor, Associate Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English Kevin Bourque, Hefty interviewed LGBTQ+ educators and fielded survey responses from across North Carolina.

ā€œWe are looking for less obvious ways that queerness is happening in the classroom, less safe space posters and more covert incorporations of identity, and thatā€™s a lot of what weā€™ve found,ā€ said Hefty. ā€œItā€™s also been really inspiring to talk to other queer educators about their experiences and stories.ā€

Hefty said she and Bourque fit together well ā€“ both being queer-identifying and interested in further exploring queer studies.

ā€œLindsey has been a pleasure to work with: thoughtful, perceptive, creative, good-natured, smart and funny. I love how her research ties not only to her professional goals, but also her outlook on the world,ā€ Bourque said.

Using research to help

Research was one of the main reasons Natalie Peeples ā€™26 and Archie Tan ā€˜25 chose to attend ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ with undergraduate research being one of the Five ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Experiences. Two of those experiences are needed for the Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) to graduate. Students earn two ELRs for their participation in SURE.

Both Peeples and Tan are Lumen Scholars Ā with their SURE research being an extension of that work as well. Tan, the president of URSA, is a computer science major researching using artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer.

ā€œRight now, technology is growing super-fast, even for the people in the field, itā€™s really hard to catch up,ā€ said Tan, who is also a first-generation college student. ā€œI want to help people utilize advanced technology in their daily life. I want to use the technology to help people.ā€

Peeplesā€™ topic is helping people in a different way ā€“ looking at what she describes as an understudied area in childhood well-being. The psychology major is interviewing parents of four-to five-year-old children in the US and asking them about what they think is important for early childhood, later she will talk with parents in Denmark, comparing the two countries.

ā€œDenmark and the U.S. focus on very different things when it comes to childhood,ā€ said Peeples, who is also an Honors Fellow. ā€œIn Denmark, they are focused more on play and outdoor time, while in the US, the focus is more on academics.ā€

A good childhood

Finding the parents to interview has been easy for Peeples through the dance classes she teaches at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ DanceWorks. Her mother is also a pre-school teacher. Her mentor Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement, is helping to find parents in Denmark, which they will talk with over the next few months. Peeples plans to go to Denmark next summer to complete her Lumen and Honors thesis research.

ā€œMy mentor has taught me about resilience and organization, while making sure that you take time for yourself, your own mental health and well-being because it can be draining trying to do all these things at once,ā€ said Peeples.

The two began working together in fall 2023 and Vandermaas-Peeler says Peeples has enthusiastically embraced the project.

ā€œSheā€™s grown tremendously throughout these intensive weeks and SURE has been exceptional preparation for the next two years as Natalie explores these concepts in the U.S. and in Denmark,ā€ Vandermaas-Peeler said. ā€œI feel very fortunate to be in a mentoring relationship with Natalie and support her intellectual journey.ā€

What does it mean to believe?

Growing up Catholic, Kiara Cronin ā€˜25 is tapping into her perceptions of religion ā€“ looking at how others in her generation (Generation Z) view faith and spirituality, compared to Generation X.

ā€œSpirituality can mean different things for different people,ā€ said Cronin, who is majoring in human service studies. ā€œI see people on social media saying they are spiritual but not religious or they believe in a higher power, but not necessarily God. I thought it was interesting how my generation is open about not subscribing to a certain religion and how that differs from someone in my momā€™s generation.ā€

The project grew out of Croninā€™s work as a Multifaith Scholar through the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society, in collaboration with her mentor Senior Lecturer in Human Service Studies Sandra Reid. Cronin is also an Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellow and connected with Reid through the Disarming Injustice course which all the fellows are required to take, along with a Civil Rights Leadership Tour.

Cronin interviewed people about their thoughts on religion and spirituality and held focus groups on the topic. The culmination of the research will be a podcast miniseries about her findings.

ā€œA surprising response from people is that they donā€™t want to get rid of the traditional ritual acts or traditional values, because that is what makes the church what it is,ā€ she said. ā€œBut they do think, to some degree, there has to be some change in how the church interacts with young people.ā€

Just the start

Before this project, Cronin had never done an extensive research project, so she found the process intimidating at first, something Garrett Schmiederer ā€™25 can relate to.

ā€œItā€™s been time consuming, and difficult at times, but Iā€™m enjoying it so far,ā€ said Schmiederer, an exercise science major who hopes to become an athletic trainer. ā€œIā€™ve always wanted to do research and itā€™s been a learning experience.ā€

Schmiedererā€™s topic looks at concussions in student athletes and their effect on headaches and sleep. His research is still developing, and he plans to have more data by the end of the fall semester and present at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum in 2025.

ā€œItā€™s just the start so far,ā€ said Schmiderer. ā€œIā€™m giving them an ImPACT test, which is a concussion baseline test and then after that Iā€™m giving them a survey that is about quality of sleep, if they have headaches or migraines and how itā€™s affecting their quality of life.ā€

Schmiederer is mentored by Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of exercise science, and Hall, who is also his academic adviser.

ā€œIā€™ve had a lot of success as a scholar myself, but I enjoy talking to students and working with them to develop something and see their success,ā€ said Hall. ā€œItā€™s amazing to see the topics and say ā€˜Wow thatā€™s impressive,ā€™ but then when you talk to the students at the presentations and they are able to translate what theyā€™ve done to me, whoā€™s not in their field, is really impressive.ā€

This leads to Black women feeling the need to meet these unrealistic standards at the expense of their health, showing higher rates of breast cancer at young ages, diabetes, stroke, depression, anxiety and self-silencing than any other demographic.

The goal of Eukela Littleā€™s ā€™22 Lumen Scholar research is to ensure Black women prioritize self-care and rethink what it means to be a strong Black woman. Her project centers around the strong Black woman schema and raises the question ā€“ Can women still be the ā€œstrong Black womanā€ and care for themselves?

ā€œWeā€™re finding out that they can,ā€ Little said. ā€œBut there have to be some things that take place for that to happen.ā€

ā€œIt starts with an awareness that you were overwhelmed and that you do see yourself as a strong Black woman,ā€ said Buffie Longmire-Avital, associate professor of psychology and Littleā€™s mentor for her Lumen Prize research. ā€œBut what does that mean and how can you still be a strong Black woman that is selfish, centers self-care and recognizes that you are just human?ā€

The Lumen Prize awards scholars a $20,000 scholarship to support a chosen research project and allows them to work closely with a faculty mentor on that project for two years. Each year, 15 rising juniors are named Lumen Scholars and conduct research that often produces conference presentations and publications.

Through her research, ā€œStrong, Black and Selfish: Reframing the Strong Black Woman Persona to include Self-Care through a Mobile Health Intervention,ā€ Little created an eight-week intervention aimed at encouraging and reframing self-care, self-compassion and self-contemplative practices ā€“ the three pillars of the schema for collegiate Black emerging adult women.

She interviewed numerous experts in the field, both at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ and elsewhere, as well as former students of Longmire-Avital. She filmed those interactions and broke them into digestible videos with prompts and activities for the nearly 30 participants.

Each week of the intervention, Little presented the participants with a different concept ā€“ understanding self-care, mindful mediation and other topics ā€“ to focus on and turn intention into action.

ā€œThere was this moment where I was trying to push Eukela into this typical research box, and she was like, ā€˜Thatā€™s not what I wanted to do. I want to create workshops and immediately help people. Iā€™m not about just writing the research up.ā€™ She wanted to disseminate this information. It wasnā€™t about generating research for her consumption or a select few,ā€ Longmire-Avital said.

ā€œIt woke me up in terms of how Iā€™ve been following a certain pattern and gave me the courage to let that go. Eukela is a wonderful example of when you step back and let a studentā€™s creativity and innovation lead you,ā€ she added. ā€œIā€™m thankful for her vision and her steadfast conviction to want to be the change, not just document what needs to happen.ā€

Little created the Instagram page, (Self-empowering and Loving Formation), a platform that merges her interests in Black women studies and self-care. It is a space to share information, while also highlighting her journey in prioritizing well-being.

By documenting her journey, she holds herself accountable by practicing what she preaches.

ā€œI use the Instagram page in a lot of the talks that I give,ā€ Longmire-Avital said. ā€œIt serves as a source of recruitment, but itā€™s also a way of reflecting on her experiences and breaking down barriers every step of the way.ā€

Longmire-Avital has been a mentor to Little during all four years sheā€™s been a student at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ.

As a first-year student, she presented at the Black Solidarity Conference and following that presentation, she sought out professors on campus to help her continue researching important topics in the Black community. Several of the students and faculty in attendance suggested to both Little and Longmire-Avital that they should connect.

They did and from there, Longmire-Avital offered her a position as her research student. They began working together officially during Littleā€™s sophomore year, during which they prepared for the Lumen Prize application.

ā€œIā€™ve had two other research mentors before Longmire-Avital, and she was my first Black woman mentor. That within itself created a sense of safety for me to show up as myself during trying times,ā€ she said.

Little is currently searching for graduate programs to continue her community-centric research and eventually obtain a doctorate. Her post-doctorate plans are to continue working with the Black community on topics of mental and physical health.

ā€œMy biggest gripe when it comes to academia is that weā€™ll do research on the community and then write this big elaborate paper and present it to other people in academia. Well, the people that youā€™ve spent six months studying donā€™t know about all of these conferences,ā€ Little said.

In the conversations Little had with the participants and the experts on the topic, a recurring theme of community was continuously exhibited, even with different topics and at different times. Establishing a sense of self is paramount. But equally important, is creating a base of supportive reinforcement around yourself.

Knowing that other Black women have similar feelings when it comes to fostering strong environments with other Black women was as rewarding as it was surprising, Little said.

ā€œBeing able to be in a space, confide in someone and feel safe shows the importance of Black sisterhood that a lot of women explained,ā€ Little said. ā€œThat has been really eye-opening.ā€

The topic of reframing the strong Black woman schema and prioritizing self-care is one that didnā€™t take a lot of convincing for the participants, as they have a genuine desire for the information that Littleā€™s research helped provide.

ā€œWe always talk about ā€˜Black girl magic.ā€™ Weā€™re all trying to be magical Black girls. But it was very interesting to see that conception of the magical Black girl was at a goddess level. That was concerning for me because we are human. We have to always be mindful of where the trends are going and how those trends may initially appear to be one thing ā€¦ but if not careful, they can also be sources of great pressure,ā€ Longmire-Avital said. ā€œEukelaā€™s research illuminates that.ā€

Learn more about the Lumen Prize and its recipients here.

ā€œWe have our SURF (Spring Undergraduate Research Forum) Day on campus, and then this would be bigger and broader than SURF, so it gives students a chance to present to a much bigger audience,ā€ said Meredith Allison, professor of psychology and director of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s Undergraduate Research program.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, along with Catawba and Livingstone College, will co-host the live virtual event on Saturday, Nov. 13, with a preview day on Friday, Nov. 12. Hundreds of students across North Carolina will have the opportunity to give poster and oral presentations of their research or creative work. Submission for the event began Sept. 13 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 15.

The application process is just beginning, and Catawba College is taking in the submissions.

Sophomores in North Carolina are eligible for the Barthalmus Research Grant of up to $500 to support ongoing undergraduate research.

East Carolina University and Elizabeth City State University hosted the first virtual event in the SNCURCSā€™ history in 2020. Allison said that ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ has had meetings with both institutions on how to best run the event from a virtual perspective.

ā€œI think itā€™s a neat opportunity to collaborate with other colleges which we wouldnā€™t have had an opportunity to do before,ā€ Allison said. ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ recently ranked 13th in undergraduate research/creative projects.

ā€œI think ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ hosting the SNCURCS affirms its recognition within the state,ā€ Allison said.

The symposium will create the opportunity for ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ students to get a glimpse of other research happening across the state and maybe given them inspiration for their projects. The majority of the presenters will be seniors and this event will be a chance for them to prepare for presenting research in a professional setting.

The presentation will be virtual for a second consecutive year, the only two times the event has been held virtually. For Allison, having a virtual event opens the doors to having more people participate and more ideas shared.

ā€œThe problem with in-person is if you hold it in the mountains, itā€™s expensive for people on the coast to go. If you hold it at the coast, people at the mountains canā€™t afford to go,ā€ Allison said. ā€œSo, weā€™re taking advantage with a virtual format.ā€

The event is a partnership between public and private institutions, with the role of hosting alternating each year between a public university and a private university. This is the second time ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ has hosted the symposium with the first being in 2007, alongside UNC Greensboro.

Ben Evans, associate professor of physics at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, will offer the opening keynote on Friday night. Titled “Magnetic Nanoparticle Solutions for Hyperthermia Therapeutics and Smart Materials,” the address will focus on his work with undergraduate scholars on projects across the scientific spectrum including ligand-targeted magnetic microspheres for drug delivery, magentic nanospheres for in vivo hyperthermia therapeutics and structured magnetic materials for soft robotics. 

The closing keynote on Saturday afternoon will be delivered by ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ’s Amy Allocco, associate professor of religious studies, and Tom Mould, professor of folklore and anthropology and director of the Honors Program. Their talk is titled “Untold, Unheard, Unexpected: Ethnography and the Challenge of Powerful Stories.” 

Find an overview of last year’s conference, held at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, . 

The Center for Writing Excellence and Undergraduate Research are co-sponsoring a workshop on Writing a Research Proposal Abstract.

This workshop is for any student working on a research abstract for a grant, fellowship or conference proposal. Please register below.

• Feb. 14, 4:15-5:15 p.m. –
• Belk Library, Room 206

Co-sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Program and the Center for Wrting Excellence; workshop led by Julia Bleakney, director of the Writing Center.

Students can register for the workshop by

Contact Julia Bleakney with any questions.