羞羞视频 enjoyed its largest Wiggins Memorial Library Academic Symposium to date in its 15-year history, both in the number of presentations and attendees to the event.聽
More than 700 students, faculty and staff attended this year鈥檚 Symposium, headquartered in the library and held throughout campus on Tuesday, and 127 students participated through oral, poster and virtual presentations, the art exhibit and music performances.聽
Those presentation topics ran the gamut of subjects and topics from undergraduate and graduate programs offered at 羞羞视频. Taylor Gery, an exercise and sports science pre-occupational therapy major, focused on excessive screen time for young children and how fast-paced overstimulation can have a negative effect on a child鈥檚 cognitive development. 鈥淟ost in the Screen: The Correlation Between Screen Time and Attention鈥� was one of six undergraduate oral presentations to earn 鈥淢erit鈥� consideration, while five others were awarded a 鈥淗igh Merit鈥� honor.聽
鈥淎s a society, we tend to put a lot of emphasis on 鈥榮eeking a fix,鈥欌�� Gery said to lead off her research findings. 鈥淎 child falls off the monkey bars at school 鈥� we鈥檙e going to put them in a cast and fix that broken bone to allow it to heal. In the psychology and neurology world, unfortunately, a lot really isn鈥檛 鈥榝ixable,鈥� but that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 not sometimes preventable.鈥�
Gery pointed to studies that found a strong decrease in performance on first-grade reading and math assessment tests for 6-year-olds who had no limits on their screen time, whether it was television, ipads or phones. Reading comprehension scores dropped as much as 58 percent. Her recommendation based on her research: children under 2 should avoid screens completely, and children ages 3-5 should be limited to an hour a day.聽
鈥淭he things that we learn as children affect our ability to [become] functioning, cognitively developed adults,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to raise learners who are attentionally capable and who have the skills to be successful, not only in an academic setting, but also in a social setting, making friends with peers.鈥�
Mental health was a common theme among the oral presentations Tuesday morning on the third floor of Wiggins Memorial Library. Psychology major and Army veteran Shane Roles presented on mental health stigma and how individuals and organizations can overcome biases and stereotypes to find support for themselves or colleagues who may be struggling. Madelyn Converse performed a study on her classmates to find if growing up with divorced parents affected their academic performance and resilience levels in college. And Kayla Lucas looked at societal standards of beauty and how those standards can affect adolescent mental health and self esteem.聽
Physical therapy students Callum Sitek, Arianna Hunsucker and Alexis Chvala presented on 鈥淏alance and Mental Wellness鈥� and discussed the positive impact virtual reality gaming is having on 羞羞视频 students in their study. Their participants (non athletes) completed mood surveys and balance tests before, midway through and after a four-week virtual reality program to 鈥減rovide insights into VR鈥檚 potential as an intervention for stress management and balance improvement in younger adults.鈥澛�
鈥淎s technology advances, it is imperative to improve physical adaptation,鈥� Callum said.聽
鈥淟ooking at the numbers, we have about 45 percent of American college students reporting 鈥榤ore than average stress,鈥欌�� added Hunsucker. 鈥淸As for balance,] falls are the leading cause of injury in adults age 65 and older 鈥� which results in a $35 billion impact in medical costs. With the way that students sit and posture, looking at their cell phones, we wanted to address the aspect of balance and posture as well in the study and see if improved physical activity could possibly mitigate these concerns.鈥�
Their research is ongoing, but the group has found that there is a positive correlation between mental health and VR gaming, and VR could be an asset on campus around finals and other stressful times for students.
In another interesting presentation, Monica Mercurio presented numbers concerning 鈥渒issing bugs鈥� and the possible spread of Chagas disease (which can lead to heart and digestive issues) in North Carolina. Her research found that while the bugs 鈥� which are more often found in warmer climates closer to the Equator 鈥� are rare in North Carolina, they could become more common and, thus, a health problem in the coming years.聽
English major Kyle Levy focused on Christian exclusivity and how the revelations and 鈥淗azelnut Theory鈥� by Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchoress, can offer 鈥渁n inclusive and optimistic theology focused on God鈥檚 steadfast love and the redemptive nature of sin.鈥�
And engineering majors Carson Daly, Julian Brickhouse and Harper Beck introduced their research and senior project to create a drove to video record skydivers autonomously 鈥� their work with an outside private business looks to revolutionize the skydiving industry to automating photography and videography that currently requires another diver and additional costs.聽
Poster presentations also covered a wide range of topics, though the majority of them were related to the health sciences. Med students Stephen Marquardt and Nikita Janodia鈥檚 鈥淎n Analysis of Opioid Use for Chronic Pain in U.S. Adults Utilizing the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey鈥� was among the 鈥淗igh Merit鈥� winners in the graduate student poster category, while Christian Contreras鈥� 鈥淔ighting Against Workplace Violence in Healthcare Personnel鈥� poster was among two 鈥淗igh Merit鈥� winners in the undergraduate category.
And two students in 羞羞视频鈥檚 Second Chance Initiative 鈥� which educates men and women at correctional facilities in Clinton and Polkton 鈥� were 鈥淢erit鈥� and 鈥淗igh Merit鈥� winners in the virtual presentation category. Jeffrey White鈥檚 research on Sylvia Plath鈥檚 鈥楲ady Lazarus鈥� and Christopher Shipley鈥檚 look at the ethics of fracking in the U.S. were among the award winners on Tuesday.
The Wiggins Memorial Library Academic Symposium was established in 2010 by former Library Dean (and current associate provost for administration and academic success) Bor茅e Kwok and began then with just 15 presentations and six posters. The event has come a long way in 15 years, according to current Dean of the Library Sarah Steele.
鈥淭oo often we become immersed in our own academic studies forgetting the diverse course offerings at 羞羞视频 in the humanities, social sciences and sciences,鈥� Steele said. 鈥淚t is here, at the Wiggins Memorial Library Academic Symposium, that you can experience a taste of disciplines other than your own, perhaps even graduate programs that align with your vocational calling.鈥�
Symposium Winners 2025
Merit awards are given to presentations scoring in the top 25% of their category; High Merit awards are given to presentations scoring in the top 10%.聽
Online Video Presentations (Undergraduate)
Merit
- Jeffrey White, “Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus,” the Jewish Phoenix, and Patriarchy” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sherry Truffin)
High Merit
- Christopher Shipley, “Tragedy or Triumph: Is Fracking in America an Ethical Endeavor?” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ken Vandegriff)
Online Video Presentations (Graduate)聽
Merit
- Catherine Patrick, “Challenges, Conflict, & Courage: The Leadership Journey & Ideological Evolution of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nicole Winget)
- Erin Taylor, “Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Mental Health Support for Charlotte’s Homeless Population” (Faculty Mentor: Prof. James Hampson)
High Merit
- Alexandra Lewis, “Bridging the Gap: A Community-Based Approach to Mental Health in Ashe County” (Faculty Mentor: Prof. James Hampson)
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Art Exhibits
Merit
- Gunnar Hardt, “Crimson Shoreline Jar” (Faculty Mentor: Professor Ray Im)
- Jamari Cannady Pratt, “Moonlight” (Faculty Mentor: Professor Ray Im)
High Merit
- Joshua Sledge, “A book sleeve for “The Bridge on the Drina” by Ivo Andric” (Faculty Mentor: Professor Dejan Mraovic)
- Susannah Young, “Dr. Matthew H. Young as Plato” (Faculty Mentor: Professor Ray Im)
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Oral Presentations (Undergraduate)聽
Merit
- Chad Casale, Jr., “The Troubles in Ireland: Religious or Political” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ken Vandergriff)
- Zeke Epps, “Moving Towards Intersectionality: A Critical Analysis of Capote’s Other Voices, Other Rooms” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sherry Truffin)
- Taylor Gery, “Lost in the Screen: The Correlation Between Screen Time and Attention” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katherine Van Allen)
- Ian Hudson, “Rewriting History: How Carbon Black-Based Inks Changed the World” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Wells)
- Charisma Morgan, “Analysis of Hitler’s Personality Using Psychoanalysis” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Guy Vitaglione)
- Abby Reutinger, “Addressing Rural American Issues in Wapello, Iowa” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Justin Nelson)
High Merit
- Clahra Buswell, “Reading, Kansas: Built and Abandoned by the Railroad” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Justin Nelson)
- Olivia Dunmire and Elizabeth Underwood, “The Physiological and Psychological Impact of Virtual Reality Games in Exercise and Rehabilitative Settings: A Systematic Review” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Christie)
- Kyle Levy, “Cowboys, Outlaws, and the Sublime: Instances of the Sublime in American Western Literature” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Womick)
- Cassady Wall, “Guenevere’s Loyalties: Cultural Concepts in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur and the BBC’s Merlin” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Rambo)
- Aaron Walls, “Juvenile Waivers: Due Process and Equal Protection” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ethan Alexander-Davey)
Oral Presentations (Graduate)聽
Merit
- James Hampson, “Improving PA Student Preparation for Pediatrics” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Kaprielian)
- Tamera Hutchinson and Haylie Fehl, “Bias in Care: Assessing Patient Experiences of Discrimination in a Geriatric Clinic” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christine Khandelwal)
High Merit
- Hannah Brown, “Leandro and the Right to Education in North Carolina” (Faculty Mentor: Dr.Lisa Lukasik)
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Poster Presentations (Undergraduate)聽
Merit
- Elizabeth Brazier, “Race and Gender Disparities in Sentencing” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cathy Cowling)
- Morgan Prince and Nicholas Ramsey, “Home Cast 713 Aluminum” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Polasik)
- Jake Stanley, Evan Moomaw, and Jonathan Reynolds, “Materials Analysis of a Rollercoaster Wheel Assembly Nut” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Polasik)
High Merit
- Christian Contreras, “Fighting Against Workplace Violence on Healthcare Personnel” (Faculty Mentor: Professors Sharon Boyd and Laurie Maki)
- Craig McQuitty, Jr., “A Statistical Analysis of the Relation Between Interest Rates and Stock Returns” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Kelly)
Poster Presentations (Graduate)聽
Merit
- Marguerite Degen, Kaitlyn Stocks, Lucas Domberg, Davis Young, and Riley Shegos, “Case Report of Breast Cancer with Liver Metastasis” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bonnie Brenseke and Dr. David Green)
- Vedavalli Govindan, Julianne Wanner, Brianna Lockwood, Mariah Walker, and Surabhi Maske, “Diagnosis and Treatment of Uterine Fibroids” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan Proia and Dr. Alexa Kelly)
- Amy Hird, “Improving Utilization and Impact of Medicare Annual Wellness Visits at Avance Care RTP” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Kaprielian)
- Juniki Langle and Mara Morley, “Investigating a Potential Mouse Model of Bipolar Disorder: Behavioral Effects of Raising Brain Cholesterol” (Faculty Mentor: Dr.Christopher Breivogel)
- Aman Luthra, Alexsandra Cvetkovska, Arren Sevingy, Remy Mathi, “An Osteopathic Approach to a Case of Gallstones in a 104-year-old Cadaver” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bonnie Brenseke and Dr. Christopher Fink)
- Jennifer Odell Hill, “Implementing Routine Substance Use Disorder Screening in a Rural Family Practice” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Kaprielian)
- Kaitlyn Stocks and Cami Czejdo, “Case Report: Perineural Therapy to Treat Fibromyalgia” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Agnello)
High Merit
- Jacob Kornegay, “Economic Considerations in Crop Insurance” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Kelly)
- Stephen Marquardt and Nikita Janodia, “An Analysis of Opioid Use for Chronic Pain in US Adults Utilizing the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) from 2010-2019” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melissa Holland and Dr. Michael Jiroutek)
- Laura Petrera, Mimi Coleman, Sidney Briski, and Joshua Berlin, “Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Case Report and Review of IDH Inhibitors for Relapse Therapy” (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bonnie Brenseke, Dr. Amy Hinkelman, and Dr. Alan Proia)
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