Thirty-seven Westfield State University students and one faculty member made presentations at the 25th Annual Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Commonwealth Honors College, on April 26.
The 37 student presenters were Jacqueline Amell, Faiqa Ashraf, Christian Biseinere, Chelsea Budd, Rachel Bunce, Courtney Capitan, Emma Colcord, Albert Cuevas, Jordan Dermody, Carley Devlin, Rachel Dunphy, Sarah Eugenio, Katherine Fontes, Samuel Gerrmann, Michael Goyette, Emily Hadley, Thomas Howard, Hibo Hussein, Jonathan Lafrenaye, Shauna Legsdin, Caitlyn Letourneau, Meagan Llewellyn, Emily Loughman, Christian Mikule, Sarah Morgan, Michael Olson, Sephas Owusu, Marcus Payne, Victoria Pike, Elizabeth Potter, Juliana Rodriguez, Alissa Smith, Matthew Sykes, Audrey Therriault, Isabella Valadas, Bridget Venezia, and Nadeen Waleed.
The conference highlighted undergraduate students as they shared their individual research from a variety of topics, including but not limited to sciences, history, and literature, and showcased through various mediums, including posters, oration, and PowerPoint presentations.
The conference was established in 1994 and is co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Honors College, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Massachusetts State University Council of Presidents, and the Massachusetts Community Colleges.
Additionally, Professor Vanessa Diana, Ph.D., of the English Department spoke during a reception to celebrate the conference’s 25th anniversary. Dr. Diana shared the story of Mike Brill, a Westfield State alumnus from the Class of 2012, who presented at the event as a freshman. Through his presentation on Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, Brill connected with Dr. Mary Wilson, a professor of Middle East History at UMass Amherst, and later served as a guest speaker during one of her class lectures. Brill is a current Ph.D. candidate in Middle East history at Princeton University. He has maintained contact with Dr. Wilson throughout his academic career.
Having attended the event for numerous years, Westfield State University is held in high esteem as an ‘enthusiastic contingent’ by the organizers of the Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference.
The conference hosted more than 1,300 undergraduate students from all 29 Massachusetts public colleges and universities.