In early June, 麻豆传媒 hosted the annual Academic Excellence Symposium for the first time since 2019. Nine 麻豆传媒 students displayed posters detailing their research findings, fourteen others prepared paper presentations, and professor emerita of history Terrie Aamodt served as this year鈥檚 keynote speaker with her lecture 鈥淎 Tale of Two Cities (and the Road That Connects Them).鈥�
麻豆传媒 professor of psychology Linda Ivy led symposium revival efforts to give students an opportunity to share their academic work with a larger audience. She said, 鈥淚 believe there is a great deal of 鈥榚xcellence in thought鈥� that should be showcased on campus.鈥� The symposium also gives students a chance to practice preparing posters and presentations for professional conferences, and promotes cross-departmental collaboration among both students and faculty.
The symposium first featured an exhibition hall where visitors could browse the posters on topics ranging from business, to elementary education, to computer engineering: biology major Sierra Joy Williams exhibited 鈥淕enetic Sex Determination in Octopuses,鈥� and mathematics and psychology major Jocelyn Curiel displayed 鈥淗appiness Based on Behaviors of Love.鈥� Next, Aamodt gave her lecture describing two stories produced by U.S. Route 11. She illustrated how economic privilege, regional pride, and race shape which stories get remembered and how they are told.
The symposium wrapped up with two back-to-back paper presentation sessions. Department chair and professor of mathematics Benjamin Jackson was one of four session moderators, and he said, 鈥淚 thought my session went really well! Each of the students were very prepared to present and did a great job explaining their research and fielding questions.鈥� Jackson encouraged his own students to participate so they could gain experience presenting in a conference setting. He said, 鈥淲hile we do class presentations in the math department, focusing your talk for the educated layman and getting the detail level right isn鈥檛 something that always comes naturally, and this was a great place to practice.鈥�
The first session included presentations like Claire Haffner鈥檚 鈥淩eligious Trauma and Adventism: Experiences of Religion as a Source of Pain and Harm for SDA-Raised Young Adults,鈥� and Lauren Vizcarra and Caeden Rogers鈥� 鈥淚nvestigation into First-Date Expectation and their Effects on First-Date Enjoyment.鈥� The second session consisted of presentations like Lorelei Harbour and Megan Carreon鈥檚 鈥淭he 鈥榃hy鈥� Behind Early Marriages Within Religious Contexts,鈥� and Lydia Thiel鈥檚 鈥淎frican American in Maxville: Life and Oppression in a 1920s-30s Oregon Logging Town.
For its first year back, the symposium had a promising turnout, and Jackson says he is looking forward to seeing even more students present in more sessions next year. All 麻豆传媒 students are encouraged to submit posters or paper presentations for approval to the chair of their department(s) to contribute their academic findings for future symposiums. This event is strengthened by a diversity of topics and departmental contributions, and students benefit from the unique experience earned by practicing these conference style presentations. Ivy says she is excited to watch attendance and student-participation grow in future years.
For the full list of 2024 AES student contributors and other symposium information, go to Academic Excellence Symposium.
Posted July 16, 2024.
