Strong Students Share Their Work During Celebrating Student Achievement Day

Want to see the Meredith College Going Strong brand come to life? Attend Celebrating Student Achievement (CSA) Day, which features research presentations, performances and creative projects, and other activities that showcase student success. The 2014 event was held on April 8.

“This is a day celebrating exploration and intellectual life,” said President Jo Allen, who calls CSA Day her favorite Meredith tradition.

Provost Matthew Poslusny also sees CSA Day as a celebration. “Education is not a spectator sport, you have to be active and involved,” Poslusny said. “Today is a celebration of that.”

Approximately 125 students presented research during CSA Day.

The day began with poster presentations on topics including “The Effect of Theater on High School Academics,” “Music Icons in Fashion,” “The Effects of Nicotine Sulfate on Escherichia coli,” and “Relationship between High School Size,” and “Transitional Stress among 1st year College Women.”

There were 13 conference sessions that featured in-depth presentations of student research.

Many of the students’ research presentations focused on topics that support their career goals. Callie Davis, who wants to become an orthodontist, researched the physics behind braces. Sarah Boykin, who plans to become a veterinarian, shared her patient profile for Rocinante, the horse in the novel Don Quxiote. She was one of four students from an honors course that used Miguel de Cervantes’ classic work as a basis for research projects.

Other students shared insights gained from study abroad. Taylor Haines presented “The Green Adventurer,” which explored the environmental impact of travel, including eco-tourism alternatives. Jasmine Johnson presented her findings of the differing levels of materialism found in birthday celebrations in the United States and Costa Rica. Students also shared their winning compositions from the 2013 study abroad essay contest.

Students in art and design demonstrated their skills in sessions including an interior design showcase, a fashion show, performances, and art history presentations.

Throughout the day, the value of the undergraduate research experience was shown again and again.

Research “helps students see where curiosity can take them and … creates a lifelong habit of asking good questions and seeking good answers,” Allen said.

Learn more about Undergraduate Research at Meredith College