PNC Honors Students Present at Butler Research Conference

PNC-Honors-Students-Present-at-Butler-Research-ConferencePurdue University North Central students who are part of the Honors Program presented their research at the recent Butler University Undergraduate Research Conference in Indianapolis. Fourteen PNC students presented projects in psychology, biology, chemistry, gender studies and English. They were among 590 presentations and 950 participants from colleges and universities across the country.

Courtney Armacost, a Psychology major, presented her research on how the sense of belonging to one's institution impacts students’ motivation to excel in school. She is a research assistant in the Behavioral Sciences Lab and her project came from her work there.

Armacost was grateful to have been able to have the opportunity to present at the conference, “I was really nervous presenting for the first time, not knowing what to expect. Once I presented I was so thankful for the experience. I think I may even do it next year if I get the chance to again. I feel blessed to have been able to have this experience, especially because I am considering graduate school. I feel like my confidence boosted as soon as I finished the presentation, because most students are afraid to make such a big step.”

Eileen Long, an English major, presented research on Salman Rushdie’s novel “Shame” and whether it can be considered a feminist narrative. Her paper argued that Rushdie successfully writes a feminist narrative that portrays four women who subvert the rules of their patriarchal society.

She said, “It was great being able to present at an academic conference, since many of these opportunities are only open to graduate students or faculty. Another great aspect of the conference was to be able to listen to so many varied presentations. Probably the most nerve-racking, yet rewarding part was the question and answer portion of the presentation when the moderator and audience would ask specifics regarding our research. It was so much fun taking part, asking questions, and flexing our scholarly brains.”

Three freshmen who exhibited research. Stephanie Perry, a Biology major, presented a literature review about innovations in genetic engineering, and looks forward to presenting the results of her own original experiments in the future. Tasia Williams, a Computer and Information Technology Major, and Matt Variot, a Biology major, presented their original analyses of the television show “The Walking Dead.” For Variot and Williams, the conference connected their personal interests to the world of scholarly research and encouraged them to pursue research outside of their home disciplines.

PNC presenters included Tiffany Briesacher, Sam Irzyk, Nate Kennedy, Jasmine Moore, Stefanie Nanney, Ashley Pezan, Stefanie Rigg, Melanie Shebel, Mary Steele, Kelsey Tabbert, Alexis Ulrich, and Cali Young.

Students in the PNC Honors Program pursue extra research projects with their faculty mentors to earn honors credit in their courses. A number of PNC presenters developed their research projects in honors courses.

The Honors Program also supports student research through its research assistant program, which hires students to work with faculty mentors on advanced research for publication.

To learn more about the PNC Honors Program, please visit www.pnc.edu/honors.