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Wednesday, August 2 brought high energy and excitement into the Rauenhorst Ballroom, and it wasn’t because of the free pizza, but the fusion of student-faculty research and dedication.

After 10 weeks of intensive research, 19 students were finally able to share their projects at the Summer Scholars closing celebration.12 student-faculty teams have been working on collaborative research of a diverse scope of projects since June. Disciplines varied greatly and included biology, psychology, art, chemistry, exercise and sports science, communication studies and more.

“Many collaborative undergraduate research programs focus only on the sciences. We encourage teams from all disciplines to participate, and all the students and faculty share challenges and strategies and learn from each other,” said Director of Collaborative Undergraduate Research, Lynda Szymanski.

Near 100 people attended the showcase, including President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76.

English major Emma Hargreaves '17 spent the summer developing a reading guide for Gertrude Stein's The Making of Americans, a work known for being a difficult read. Hargreaves appreciated the variety and breadth of the student projects. She said, "It's been a unique experience to work with others who truly care about student work."

The Summer Scholars program provides not only a community, but a sense of meaning and engagement for students.

As a student employee in the Nutrition and Exercise Science department, Mary Jane Voss '18 has been entering data for the “Women’s Fitness and Wellness” class for almost two years. The Summer Scholars program provided her with the opportunity to expand on her student work, and she decided to incorporate the fitness class data into her research. "The project gave me a hands-on opportunity to apply what I've been doing and understand what the class has done for our students," Voss said.

And the hard work St. Kate scholars put into their projects isn't over yet! “It’s just the beginning of dissemination for these teams,” noted Szymanski.

Scholars will apply to present their research at conferences, one opportunity being the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), a showcase of the nation’s best in baccalaureate-level scholarly work held each spring. Since the Summer Scholars program launched in 2010, more than 100 St. Kate's students have presented their research to NCUR with an impressive acceptance rate of 98% — well above the national average of 85%.

Summer Scholars 2017 teams

Art

Biology

Exploring the Effect of Exercise on Mood and Trust

Sara Brakke '18, Ngozika Ezenagu '19, John Pellegrini

Chemistry

Communication Studies

English

Exercise and Sports Science

Mathematics

Nutrition

Campus Health and Ideas for the Future

Mary Jane Voss '18, Holly Willis

Physics

Psychology

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Story by Amy Mullowney '19