Psychology | Today at Elon | �þ��

�þ�� Alamance internships connect Elon students with community impact

Avery Craine Powell — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:07:13 +0000

Through paid internships with local nonprofits, government agencies and community organizations, �þ��’s �þ�� Alamance Program is helping students gain professional experience while strengthening the community they call home. Sponsored by the Student Professional Development Center and the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, the program connects students with organizations across Alamance County, providing meaningful work experiences that often shape future career paths.

The impact of reading

For Lyric Gregory ’28, that impact is measured one child, and one book, at a time.

“It’s amazing. I feel like I’m making such a big difference,” said Gregory. “I feel like I’m actually contributing to making Alamance a little bit better.”

Gregory, a psychology major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is spending his summer as an intern with Alamance Partnership for Children, a nonprofit organization serving young children and families throughout Alamance County. He supports the organization’s efforts to provide supplies to families in need, advance literacy initiatives and redesign its library and children’s area.

“It’s a really cool feeling to give a child a book and see their eyes light up,” Gregory said. “I never thought kids would be so excited to see books. There was this one kid, just seeing the joy on his face when he asked his mom, ‘Look, they’re going to have books. Can I have one?’ It hit me in the feels.”

�þ�� Alamance intern Lyric Gregory ’27 at the Alamance Partnership for Children on June 25, 2026.

Launched in 2021, �þ�� Alamance connects Elon students with paid internships throughout Alamance County while helping build a pipeline of talent for local organizations. Since its launch, 97% of participants have reported their internships were valuable to their professional development.

Gregory has long been fascinated by psychology and hopes to become a child therapist. He said the internship has strengthened his passion for helping others.

“I’m already motivated, but it motivated me even more to continue to pursue psychology, because I’m looking at people in this office who still have the same passion as me, and they’re making a difference,” he said.

‘Real time’ experience

Like Gregory, McKenna Blount ’27 entered college with an interest in psychology. A psychology major with minors in and criminal justice studies, Blount wanted an internship that combined both fields but initially struggled to find opportunities that fit her interests.

Through the Student Professional Development Center, she connected with the �þ�� Alamance Program and secured an internship with the Burlington Police Department, where she works with both the Aerial Reconnaissance & Tactical Intelligence Center (ARTIC), and the Crime Scene Investigation unit.

“I’ve had a lot of broad experience in the police department,” said Blount, who is from Raleigh. “They’re super flexible, just letting me have as much experience that I possibly can.”

In ARTIC, a real-time crime center, Blount assists officers by monitoring camera systems and databases during active investigations. In the Crime Scene Investigation unit, she observes investigators and gains firsthand experience with forensic work.

“I didn’t know how interested I was in the law enforcement aspect of things,” said Blount. “I thought I was more interested in the psychology aspect. It’s really nice to meet people outside of the ‘Elon bubble.’”

McKenna Blount ’27 at the Burlington Police Department

Connecting the community and history

Katie Baylett ’27, a strategic communications major from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is also gaining hands-on professional experience through �þ�� Alamance as a social media intern for the Alamance Historical Museum.

“The internship has helped me know how to work and navigate in a professional environment,” Baylett said. “I took a class at Elon where we briefly touched on the local history and the textile industry history of Alamance County specifically, but this has really given me hands-on experience and helped me connect with the local community and also just connect with the local history.”

Baylett develops the museum’s social media content calendar, creates photo and video content, updates the museum’s website and assists with an email marketing campaign. A key part of her role is translating the work of museum staff into engaging, accessible content for the public.

“My classes at Elon have helped me know how to create a social media calendar and have helped me know how to navigate a wide variety of systems that I am using with my internship,” she said.

Katie Baylett ’27 at the Alamance Historical Museum

Internships are a central part of the Elon experience. Through the university’s Experiential Learning Requirement, students must complete two of five Elon Experiences: internships, service, leadership, �þ�� research or global engagement.

For Blount, the internship has also changed how she sees the community surrounding campus.

“You take the same three roads to get where you need to go as an Elon student, and I had no idea how much more goes on in Burlington,” Blount said. “This internship has really benefited my professional career development.”

Elon faculty bring SoTL expertise to International Educators Network

Jill McSweeney — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:10:43 +0000

Two Elon faculty members recently shared their expertise in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) with a global audience, delivering a keynote for the on June 17.

Sarah Bunnell, director of Elon’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and associate professor of psychology, and George Talbert, assistant professor of marketing and sales, co-presented “The Power of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Individual and Institutional Transformation, in Business Schools and Beyond.” The online session marked the group’s second community event and drew educators from across Europe and beyond.

Bunnell opened by tracing SoTL’s roots to Ernest Boyer’s influential 1990 framework, which expanded the definition of scholarship to include systematic study of student learning. She then expanded on the field’s history to include later contributions from scholars like Elon’s Peter Felten, assistant provost for �þ�� and learning, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and professor of history, whose work has helped establish public dissemination, peer review and collaboration as foundational principles of SoTL practice.

Talbert then offered a personal lens, reflecting on his own transition from a senior marketing and sales career into higher education and how engaging with SoTL has reshaped his approach to �þ�� and student learning. Rather than focusing solely on content delivery and student satisfaction, he described moving toward deeper questions about how students’ thinking develops and whether his �þ�� approaches achieve their intended learning outcomes. This personal insight was highlighted by event organizers as a “”, and its accessibility to faculty across disciplines, not just educational researchers.

Bunnell and Talbert’s work is an example of meaningful collaboration between faculty across disciplines who center student learning, professional growth, and development of one’s �þ�� practice within their work. Their session is a meaningful contribution to the growing international dialogue about SoTL’s role in higher education, which Elon is increasingly recognized as leading. The invitation for the keynote reflects the continued recognition of Elon’s leadership in �þ�� þ�� and educational development on the global stage. Following the session, Bunnell and Talbert were invited to remain engaged with the international SoTL community, with plans to continue building on the conversation in future collaborations.

Five Elon seniors and alumni selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Nicole Galante — Wed, 13 May 2026 17:50:10 +0000

Three members of the class of 2026 and two members of the class of 2025 have been selected as finalists for the , and one member of the class of 2026 was named an alternate. Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program designed to foster cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding for the promotion of a more peaceful world. Finalists are not just funded to teach or research—they are expected to serve as valuable cultural ambassadors in their respective host countries, both representing the United States and learning about their new communities.

Elon has been repeatedly recognized for the number of its alumni who participate in the Fulbright Program as teachers, graduate students, and researchers and has been named a top-producer of Fulbright students in six separate years. �þ�� and alumni interested in the Fulbright Program or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office. The deadline to notify the office of your intent to apply for Fulbright in this upcoming cycle is June 1, 2026. Rising seniors are required to work with the National and International Fellowships Office to apply for Fulbright, and alumni are highly encouraged to do so.

Those who received awards this year are:

Azul Bellot ’26

Azul Bellot, a double major in psychology and sociolinguistics with a minor in TESOL, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain. She is The Elon Commitment scholar in the Odyssey Program and a student scholar with The Center for Engaged Learning.

Bellot has been preparing for an experience like Fulbright long before she arrived at Elon. Reflecting on her early years, she says, “Growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was my family’s translator from a young age. I navigated formal systems, adult conversations, and bureaucratic spaces in both English and Spanish long before I had the language to describe what that experience was doing to me. It gave me a deep understanding of what it means for language to be a gateway, and what it costs when that gateway is closed.”

These formative years laid the groundwork for her time at Elon, where she developed her own independent sociolinguistics major, volunteered as an English tutor for children and adults, and conducted research on meaningful mentoring relationships. To Bellot, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain is “the most honest intersection of everything [she’s] been working towards: language, identity, education, and community.”

After Fulbright, Bellot plans to pursue more international fellowships before returning to academia to earn her PhD in Applied Linguistics. Her Elon mentors include Archie Crowley, assistant professor of English; Nina Namaste, professor of Spanish; and Sylvia Muñoz, assistant dean of students and director for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.

Anya Bratić ’26

Anya Bratić, a double major in international & global Studies and public policy with a minor in public health, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Vietnam. She is an Elon College Fellow, a Periclean Scholar, and the Student Government Association Student Body President.

To Bratić, Fulbright represents the intersection of her two greatest passions: global engagement and �þ��. She found ways to blend these passions during her time at Elon. As a Periclean Scholar, she had the opportunity to study abroad in India to understand what mutually beneficial relationships look like in practice, not just in theory. As a student consultant with the Center for Design Thinking, she developed a love for �þ�� and facilitation, specifically the challenge of guiding others through the structured process of finding meaningful solutions to “wicked” problems. Serving as an English �þ�� assistant will allow her to refine her intercultural and �þ�� skills while strengthening diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.

After Fulbright, Bratić is interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy or global social impact. “Simply put, I want to work at the intersection of people, policy and purpose,” she says. Bratić’s constellation of Elon mentors includes Amanda Tapler, associate �þ�� professor of public health studies; Safia Swimelar, professor of political science and public policy; Sean McMahon, professor of entrepreneurship; and Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor of human service studies.

Molly Moylan ’26

Biochemistry major Molly Moylan has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain.

At Elon, Moylan took every opportunity to foster and blend her passions for STEM research, �þ�� and service. As a researcher, Moylan worked with chemistry professor Dan Wright to study trace metals within medicinal herbs and spices. She refined her �þ�� skills by serving with America Reads, the Village Project, the CityGate Dream Center, and more. Most notably, Moylan found a way to combine her passions by co-founding Imagine Science, a program designed to address declining student engagement in science education by bringing hands-on experiments and activities to local after-school programs.

In Spain, Moylan will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Galicia, a region that is especially interested in promoting students’ scientific thinking skills. This Fulbright year will serve as crucial preparation for Moylan as she applies to medical school. The language and cultural skills she will gain in Spain will allow her to better serve Spanish-speaking patients in the future.

Moylan’s most influential Elon mentor has been Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dan Wright. “Dr. Dan Wright has been instrumental in my success at Elon,” she said. “Through his continued support, my confidence in both my personal and professional capacities has grown immensely, and I am extremely grateful to have had him as a mentor.”

Madison Powers ’25

Madison Powers, who graduated in 2025 with a degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain. At Elon, Powers was a communications fellow and a 2023 Pulitzer reporting fellow. Since graduating, she has served as an editorial intern at Garden & Gun Magazine in Charleston, South Carolina.

Powers has long had her sights set on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain. During her �þ�� years, she spent a semester in Sevilla and fostered her dual passions for cross-cultural exchange and global education. Eager to return, she applied for Fulbright in last year’s application cycle and was named a semifinalist. She remained so committed to the value of a Fulbright experience that she chose to reapply this year, and her hard work and persistence paid off.

Powers will serve as an English �þ�� assistant in Madrid. She is excited to live and work in a large, diverse city while improving her Spanish language skills and forming connections with her community. Serving in Madrid will also allow her to work closely with students on Global Classrooms/Model UN projects, which are important to the development of their critical thinking and cross-cultural skills.

This Fulbright year will serve as a bridge between Powers’ current and future journalistic work. Upon returning to the U.S, she plans to work as a journalist reporting on and working in Spanish-speaking communities. Her Elon mentors include Kelly Furnas, associate �þ�� professor of journalism; Jan Register, administrative assistant for the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; and Pablo Celis-Castillo, associate professor of Spanish.

Aryanna Vindas ’25

Aryanna Vindas, a graduate of the class of 2025, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in South Korea. She graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography and a minor in Asian studies.

Serving as an English �þ�� assistant in South Korea is a natural extension of the work Vindas began at Elon. She completed a two-year �þ�� research project about Korean Buddhist mindfulness, studied abroad for a semester in South Korea, and undertook a rigorous course of Korean language study. Simultaneously, she developed her �þ�� skills by serving as a volunteer English teacher, tutoring Spanish, and leading and assisting dance classes.

Because her grant does not begin until January 2027, Vindas has chosen to go above and beyond to prepare. She will spend this summer in South Korea completing intensive language study at Yonsei University in Seoul, which will help her integrate more successfully into her future host community and build more meaningful relationships with her students.

After Fulbright, Vindas plans to enroll in graduate school to continue the research on Buddhist mindfulness she began at Elon. Vindas’ Elon mentors include Renay Aumiller, associate professor of dance; the “wonderful” dance staff; and Pamela Winfield, professor of religious studies and associate director of international & global studies.

In addition to these students, one senior has been named an alternate. Alternates are still in the competition and have the chance to be promoted to finalists (recipients of the grant) up until the official start of the grant period. We will update this story as we continue to hear news of their progress.

Rebecca Lovasco ’26

Rebecca Lovasco, a psychology major with minors in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and neuroscience, has been selected as an alternate for a Fulbright study/research grant in Taiwan to earn a master’s degree in Mind, Brain, and Consciousness at Taipei Medical University.

Lovasco is an Elon College Fellow who went on to win the Lumen Prize. Her research, which integrates cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, and philosophy of mind, explores how anxiety and depression affect reinforcement learning and conscious visual perception. Outside of her research, Lovasco is proud to have served as a law enforcement crisis counselor with the �þ�� Alamance program.

Lovasco’s Elon mentors include Kristina Krasich, assistant professor of psychology; William Schreiber, associate professor of psychology; Kim Epting, professor of psychology; Alexa Darby, professor of psychology; and Jill McSweeney, assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and assistant professor of wellness.

Psychology students and faculty present at the Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting

Ilyssa Salomon — Mon, 11 May 2026 13:17:30 +0000

Ten Elon students and three psychology faculty members attended the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) 2026 annual meeting in March in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Student presenters included Fatmata Bah (mentored by William Schreiber); Gia Cullens, Olivia Guarino; Jessica Garcia-Bastida, Anna Grace Gilbert and Ella McGlynn (mentored by Sabrina Perkins); Kailey Stark and Soriah Rodriguez Smith (mentored by Ilyssa Salomon); and Clare Petznick and Natalie Peeples (mentored by Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler).

SEPA is the largest psychological organization in the southeastern United States, aiming to advance psychology as a science, a profession, and a means of promoting human welfare.

�þ�� in attendance presented their research as posters or talks on a variety of topics ranging from operant conditioning in harvester ants to infant behavior. Their presentations reflect many of the core disciplines of psychology, including behavioral neuroscience and developmental psychology, as well as the scholarship of �þ�� and learning in psychology.

Kailey Stark

For many students, this was the first professional conference they had ever attended. Presenting their research at a professional conference is an important milestone and the culmination of years of hard work.

“Presenting at SEPA was a meaningful way to conclude my research experience at Elon,” said Kailey Stark ’26. “Through the Elon College Fellows program, I have had the opportunity to design and carry out a research project with the support of my mentor, Dr. Ilyssa Salomon. As my first professional conference, SEPA gave me the opportunity to present what I have been working on for the last two years, as well as the chance to learn from my peers across the field of psychology.”

Senior psychology students Clare Petznick ’26 (Odyssey Program) and Natalie Peeples ’26 (Honors and Lumen Scholar) and their mentor, Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, presented three related research studies in a symposium entitled “The Good Childhood: Exploring preschoolers’ perspectives through the Mosaic Method.” Each study explored how preschoolers conceptualize “a good childhood,” a Nordic construct emphasizing children’s rights and freedoms, through multiple modalities of expression including play, drawings, and photovoice. All three studies were conducted during Elon’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) in 2025 and 2026, and two explored cultural differences between the United States and Denmark. Psychology faculty member Sabrina Perkins served as a discussant, integrating her experience with human development in multiple cultural contexts with the team’s research findings.

Left to right: Natalie Peeples, Sabrina Perkins, Clare Petznick and Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler

“Presenting at the SEPA conference allowed me to visualize my research that I have worked so hard on during my �þ�� career,” said Petznick. “The SEPA conference was particularly enjoyable as I was surrounded by other psychology students who share the same passion for research and discovery as I do. Presenting at a professional conference helped me feel more confident and knowledgeable in my area of research and I was able to learn from the questions the audience asked me.”

Travel for Perkins was supported by a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant from the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences supported Vandermaas-Peeler’s travel. Student travel was supported by generous donors who contributed to the Psychology Department Gift Account, a group travel grant from the Undergraduate Research Program, and funding from the Honors Program, Elon College Fellows, and the Lumen Prize at �þ��.

Clare Petznick ’26

Readers who wish to further contribute to supporting Psychology students’ research opportunities and professional conference travel may contribute to the Psychology Department Gift Account:

Psychology department recognizes seniors for excellence in research, scholarship and community engagement

Jordann Brandner — Tue, 05 May 2026 20:39:37 +0000

The Department of Psychology recently recognized outstanding graduating seniors with its annual departmental awards, celebrating excellence in academic achievement, research, and community engagement.

These award recipients reflect the Department of Psychology’s commitment to excellence in scholarship, research, and community engagement, and represent the impactful work of Elon students both on campus and beyond.

Seena Granowsky Outstanding Student in Psychology Award: Azul Bellot ’26

Azul Bellot received the Seena Granowsky Outstanding Student in Psychology Award, which honors a senior who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement and service to the field of psychology.

A double major in psychology and linguistics with a minor in �þ�� English to speakers of other languages, Bellot has distinguished herself through her scholarship, leadership, and commitment to mentoring.

“Azul is a leader and role model (…) sharing her own experiences and vulnerabilities around academia and research,” said Sabrina Perkins, associate professor of psychology, who nominated Bellot.

Bellot’s research explores trans linguistics, examining how language, identity, and ethnicity shape healthcare experiences for trans women and transfemme individuals. She has presented her work multiple times, including serving as a keynote co-presenter at a Center for Engaged Learning conference. Perkins emphasized that Bellot is “passionate about her work in ways that I find so inspiring and powerful,” and highlighted Bellot’s meaningful contributions to both classroom and research environments.

A first-generation college student, The Elon Commitment scholar in the Odyssey Program, and semifinalist for a Fulbright English �þ�� assistantship to Spain, Bellot has also engaged in extensive community outreach, including recently completing the Peace Corps Prep Program, mentoring fellow students, and serving as a local English instructor for adults from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Azul Bellot ’26 presents on mentoring relationships

Research Excellence Award: Natalie Peeples ’26 and Sophie Verrecchia ’26

The Research Excellence Award recognizes seniors who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the �þ�� research process. This year’s recipients are Natalie Peeples ’26 and Sophie Verrecchia ’26.

Natalie Peeples, an Honors Fellow and Lumen Scholar, was recognized for a research project spanning the United States and Denmark, examining early childhood development across diverse educational contexts.

Her nominator, Professor of Psychology Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, described the project as one of the most ambitious �þ�� projects she has mentored, noting that “[Natalie’s] motivation and initiative are outstanding and the sheer amount of work she has done is incredible.”

Peeples collected and analyzed multiple forms of data, including children’s drawings, photographs, and play observations, alongside parent and teacher focus groups. She has presented her work at several conferences and is first author on a manuscript currently under review, and will submit another very soon. Vandermaas-Peeler also highlighted her role as “an excellent and enthusiastic peer mentor,” supporting other students in their research development. Peeples will be continuing her education in Arizona, where she will pursue her master’s in speech and language pathology.

Natalie Peeples ’26 presents at SURE 2025

Sophie Verrecchia was recognized for her extensive contributions across two research labs, where she was described as “among the most rigorous, productive, and intellectually engaged �þ�� researchers” by her co-nominators Adi Wiezel, assistant professor of psychology, and Katrina Jongman-Sereno, assistant professor of psychology. In the BORG lab, Verrecchia contributed to all stages of the research process, including carefully coding behavioral videos and developing independent projects. She has coauthored a book chapter on romantic mate preferences, and her newest project extends existing research on relationship preferences by examining understudied populations, including lesbian women.

In the SoPeP Lab, Verrecchia’s work was awarded a competitive Wise Endowed Grant from the Elon Undergraduate Research Program. She has presented three posters at the largest professional conference in her field and led her own research project on impression management and hiring perceptions, which will be presented internationally in Barcelona, Spain. Her nominators emphasized that “what sets Sophie apart is not only her productivity, but her commitment to doing research well. She approaches each stage with care, collaboration, and intellectual rigor, and consistently connects her work to meaningful questions within psychology.”

Sophie Verrecchia ’26 presents at SURF 2026

Community Engagement Award: Maddie Pettis ’26

Maddie Pettis received the Community Engagement Award, which recognizes excellence in applying psychological knowledge in community settings through service, internships or outreach.

Majoring in psychology with a minor in Human Service Studies, Pettis has demonstrated a sustained commitment to health equity and community-based care.

“[Maddie] has shown a clear pattern of seeking out high-impact service opportunities and engaging thoughtfully with the communities she serves,” said Jordann Brandner, assistant professor of psychology, who nominated Pettis.

Her experiences include clinical and community-based work in Morocco, her hometown health clinic in New Hampshire and, most recently in India, where she focused on reproductive and maternal health. Through these roles, Pettis applied psychological principles to address stigma, improve patient interactions, and support access to care.

Brandner noted that Pettis developed “a practical understanding of how psychological principles can promote access, education and informed decision-making in real-world health contexts.” Pettis will continue her education at Columbia University this fall, pursuing graduate study in public health.

Madeline Pettis ’26 and faculty mentor Jordann Brandner at the annual North Eastern Evolutionary Psychology Society

Gendle selected as co-director of the Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative

mgendle — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:17:21 +0000

Mat Gendle, professor of psychology and director of Project Pericles

Mathew Gendle, director of Project Pericles and professor of psychology, has been selected to serve as a co-director of the Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative, an international network of educational institutions and community organizations. The Collaborative advances best practices in community-based global learning and research for more just, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

In this work, Gendle will join The Collaborative’s three other co-directors: Sarah Stanlick, associate dean of the Global School and associate professor of integrative and global studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Sam Brandauer, associate provost and executive director of the Center for Global Study and Engagement, Dickinson College; and Carolina Bolaños Palmieri, director of programs at Child Family Health International.

Community-based global learning is a term developed by academics and researchers who are also practitioners. It therefore is defined by a set of seven practical components: community-driven learning and/or service; development of cultural humility; global citizenship; continuous and diverse forms of critically reflective practice; ongoing attention to power, privilege, and positionality throughout programming and course work; deliberate and demonstrable learning; and safe, transparent, and well-managed programs.

Learn more about the work of The Collaborative:

Fifteen students selected as 2026 Lumen Scholars

Avery Craine Powell — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:19:06 +0000

Fifteen rising juniors at Elon have been selected to receive the 2026 Lumen Prize, the university’s premier �þ�� research award that includes a $20,000 scholarship to support and celebrate their academic achievements and research proposals.

Lumen Scholars will work closely with their mentors during the next two years to pursue and complete their projects. Efforts traditionally include coursework, study abroad, research both on and off campus, internships locally and overseas, program development, and creative productions and performances.

“It was another very competitive year, and the Lumen Advisory Board saw many good applications,” said Michael Carignan, director of the Lumen Prize and professor of history. “These 15 represent truly special talent and engagement. We look forward to watching the projects unfold over the next two years.”

The name for the Lumen Prize comes from Elon’s historic motto, “Numen Lumen,” which are Latin words meaning “spiritual light” and “intellectual light.” The words, which are found on the �þ�� seal, signify the highest purposes of an Elon education.

2026 Lumen Prize Winners

Tajallah Amirkhil
Mentor: Molly Green
Major: Public Health & Biochemistry
Project: Barriers and Resilience: Exploring Mental Health among Afghan Refugee Women in North Carolina

Emma Briceño
Mentors: Dan Burns & Tita Ramirez
Major: English (Creative Writing)
Project: The Desert Lighthouse, a Novel: an Exploration of Queerness and Safety through Body Horror, Immortality, and Genre Reinvention

Kelley Calvillo
Mentor: Renay Aumiller
Major: Dance Performance and Choreography
Project: The Body Knows: Developing a Feminist Framework for Distributed Choreographic Authorship

Chloe Cone
Mentors: Eryn Bernardy & Ahlam Armaly
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Solutions in the Soil: Unearthing Novel Antibacterial Compounds from Soil Microbes to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Sanai Crosby
Mentors: Lauren Kearns & Matt Wittstein
Major: Exercise Science & Dance Science
Project: Dance and Neural Activity: Examining Neural Activity Across the Choreographic Process and Performance Environments

Fleur Helmantel
Mentor: Scott Wolter
Major: Biomedical Engineering & Chinese Studies
Project: Development of Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Anna Keller
Mentor: Scott Morrison
Project: Perceptions and Practices of Outdoor Literacy: a Two-Part Mixed-Methods Study

Nevaeh Kimmie
Mentor: Katrina Jongman-Sereno
Major: Psychology & Economics
Project: To Code-Switch or Not to Code-Switch: Authenticity, Psychological Outcomes, and Social Judgement of Black College �þ�� in Predominantly White Academic Spaces

Lisa Kranec
Mentors: Hwayeon Ryu & Efrain Rivera-Serrano
Major: Biomedical Engineering & Applied Mathematics
Project: Mathematical Modeling of Excessive Collagen Production in Cardiac Fibrosis

Jordyne Lewis
Mentor: Steve DeLoach
Major: Economic Consulting & Data Analytics
Refugees, Emotional Wellbeing, and Financial Inclusion in Uganda

Kendall Lewis
Mentor: Jen Uno
Major: Biochemistry & Mathematics
Project: Can the Microbiome Heal the Brain?Evaluating Butyrate’s Efficiency in Reducing Stroke Severity within the Context of Obesity

Ja’Mir Parham
Mentor: Zack Hutchens
Major: Astrophysics
Project: RESOLVE, ECO, and eRASS: Probing Galaxy Growth through Cold and Hot Gas

Danny Stern
Mentor: Karl Sienerth
Major: Chemistry
Project: From Backlog to Breakthrough: Use of Fluorescence Quenching for the Development of an Explosive Identification Database

Ainsley Thompson
Mentor: Yuko Miyamoto
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Decreasing Platinum Chemotherapy Resistance by Downregulating STAT3 and Upregulating PTEN in the SKOV3 Cell Line

Scout Winter
Mentor: Bill Evans
Major: Exercise Science
Project: Effects of a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet on Insulin Resistance and Inflammation in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Elon students shine at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

cfleming6 — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:15:01 +0000

Over 50 Elon students presented their research and creative work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Richmond, Virginia, last week. The conference brought together over 5,000 students from across the country, and Elon was among the top 10 schools in terms of student attendance.

Elon students’ presentations spanned both the ages and the globe, with presentations ranging in focus from ancient Maya society to generative AI’s role in online public relations discourse, and spanning both the experiences of Syrian refugees and the indigenous politics of Peru.

Athena Vizuete ’26 and her mentor made time to visit local historic sites.

The setting in Richmond offered a unique opportunity for mentor/mentee pair Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history, and Athena Vizuete ’26, a history major from Carrboro, North Carolina, who study Civil War history. In addition to presenting, they built in time to tour local historical sites that inform their research projects.

“It was amazing to see the quality of Elon’s �þ�� research in our students’ presentations,” said Kleintop. “I was very proud of Athena, who presented on her research on Reconstruction in North Carolina that was threeyears in the making! Plus, there nothing like visiting Richmond as a Civil War and Reconstruction scholar!”

“NCUR is a wonderful opportunity,” Vizuete said. “I am so happy I got to present my research on a national scale and attend so many fascinating presentations by my fellow students.”

Senior Professional Writing and Rhetoric major Caden Halberg is mentored by Travis Maynard and presented his work entitled, “The Whey Forward: Successfully Advocating for the Galactosemia Community.”

“Presenting at NCUR allowed me to raise awareness about rare disease advocacy while connecting with students across disciplines, many of whom had never encountered this topic befor,” said Halberg.

Caden Halberg ’26 presents his work on advocating for people with galactosemia.

Several students presented their work from the School of Communications. Senior strategic communications and public policy major Teresa Cao is mentored by Shanetta Pendleton, and presented her project entitled, “Sorry, Not Sorry: Exploring Communication Patterns and Perceived Authenticity of Influencer Apologies on Social Media.”

“NCUR was great because I loved being able to see the range of students and how the chose to pursue their interests,” said Cao. “It reinforced to me how there’s always something to learn or dig deeper into, and in my case, that was influencer apology videos. Pop culture is often a mirror to what’s happening in society on a broader scale, so I loved being able to share my insights on something that’s seemingly very superficial. It was also really encouraging to be around students from other disciplines since I got to hear their perspectives on my research, what they admired, and advice on how they’d do things differently.”

Athene Vizuete ’26 presents their research on race and railroad workers during Reconstruction.

�þ�� were accompanied by faculty members Eric Hall, Justin Clar, CJ Fleming, Jen Hamel, Amanda Kleintop and Judy Folmar. Folmar presented two mentor-led sessions accompanied by her research students in which they shared their research process with other student-mentor pairs.

NCUR was first held at the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 1987 and Elon students have been attending the conference since 1993. Elon typically has more than 40 students present at NCUR each year. Next year’s conference will be held April 12-14, 2027 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Psychology students and faculty present research at North Eastern Evolutionary Psychology Society meeting

Jordann Brandner — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:20:46 +0000

�þ�� and faculty from �þ��’s Department of Psychology recently presented research at the annual meeting of the North Eastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS), an organization dedicated to advancing research and education on human behavior from an evolutionary perspective.

Despite starting as a regional conference, NEEPS has grown to include scholars from 12 different countries and 23 different states in 2026.

Caroline Niedermeyer, Andrea Perez and Madeleine Pettis each presented individual research posters developed through collaborative research with faculty mentor Jordann Brandner, assistant professor of psychology, and with support from the Elon Undergraduate Research Program and the Sinclair Endowed Grant.

Pettis, Perez, and Niedermeyer presenting their posters.

Niedermeyer presented work she completed during her 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE). Her poster, titled, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Perceived Mate Value and Tolerance for Compensatory Traits,” explored how individuals navigate trade-offs in relationship partner selection. The study tested whether self-perceived mate value affects willingness to accept partners with offsetting high and low traits. Niedermeyer was awarded the Gordon Bear Best Student Poster Award, recognizing the top �þ�� or graduate student poster presentation at the conference. The award, which includes a $100 prize, is one of the meeting’s most competitive student honors and highlights the quality and impact of her research.

Perez’s poster, “Pride and Preference: Perceived Sex Ratios and Women’s Online Dating Choices,” examined how features of dating apps may shape users’ perceptions of available partners and influence women’s selectivity. Using an app that she co-developed with Pettis, the experiment tests whether different ratios of male and female profiles affect how frequently people accept or reject potential matches, contributing to understanding how modern digital environments influence mating strategies. This research was funded by a Sinclair Endowed research grant, which is awarded to student research in the social and behavioral sciences.

Pettis’ poster, “Thank You, Next: Examining the Effects of Sex Ratio and Number of Choices in Mate Choice,” investigated how the total number of available partners influences partner decisions. Using the same dating app, participants evaluate different numbers of profiles to determine whether making more choices affects a person’s pickiness. The experiment offers insight into how decision-making processes operate in online dating, where people make many choices in succession. This research was also supported by a Sinclair Endowed grant.

In addition to student presentations, Brandner led a workshop titled “Teaching a Balanced Evolutionary Social Sciences Course: A Teaching Workshop,” which focused on strategies for integrating diverse perspectives within evolutionary social science curricula. This work was funded by the �þ�� Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Dissemination grant.

All three students will present their work again at the upcoming Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) on April 28th, 2026.

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, launches new mission, vision and core values

sdarmelio — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:13:11 +0000

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, introduced a new mission statement, vision statement and core values during its spring faculty meeting following a year and a half-long process led by Dean Hilton Kelly.

Since his 2023 arrival at Elon, Kelly has hosted a ‘listening tour’ and spent time with each department to hear directly from faculty and staff about what they value. Kelly said that common themes soon emerged from those conversations and the new statement reflects dozens of discussions.

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences new vision statement reads: “The Heart of an Elon Education: Ignite Curiosity, Engage Challenges, Transform Worlds.”

The mission statement then declares:

“Upholding the centrality of the liberal arts, we explore and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge for inquiry, creativity, discovery and problem solving in a complex and changing world.”

The statement lists core values that include accessibility, belonging, critical thinking, diversity, equity and inclusion, integrity, intellectual curiosity, problem-posing and respect for human dignity.

Community Reflections

“There were several opportunities for different groups, departments, branches, interdisciplinary programs, to discuss versions on the table. It was in those conversations where we might learn how a word or phrase was heard within and across disciplines; where we found convergence, deeper awareness, and respect. The both-and of this process modeled what we value and genuinely captures our shared identity as Elon College.” – Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of exercise science
“It was always important to us that this wasn’t a process where faculty were just asked to weigh in at the end, after the real decisions had already been made. From start to finish, it was grounded in listening to what faculty across the college say we do well and what values they believe guide our shared work. Our task wasn’t to invent a mission, vision and values, but to clearly articulate what faculty are already living and leading with. I think that’s why faculty can so readily see themselves and their departments represented in the final statements.” – David Buck, associate dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and an associate professor of psychology
“Having shared goals and articulated values helps everyone in the college feel connected as a community, value each other’s work and prioritize our energies on initiatives that matter to us.” – Shannon Duvall, interim associate dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of computer science
“I appreciated the collaborative nature of it all, not just between the dean’s office and department chairs, but also extending to faculty members across Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. It really did involve all of us. What particularly stood out to me were the conversations in our chairs’ meetings with the dean where we came to agreements on core values. It’s inspiring to see that distinctly different types of disciplines uphold the same core values.” – Joel Karty, chair of the Department of Chemistry and �þ��’s Sydney F. & Kathleen E. Jackson Professor of chemistry
“I appreciated being part of a process that felt genuinely collaborative. Our participation was not merely symbolic. It felt meaningful, and I experienced the dean’s office as truly listening. The process itself was also inspirational, and I feel bolstered in leading my own department through similar work. It was powerful to see such a broad, collective effort take shape into something tangible.” – Samantha DiRosa, chair of the Department of Art and a professor of art and environmental studies
“The process of creating a new vision statement, mission statement and core values for Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences was both thoughtful and deeply collaborative. Over many months, department chairs worked together to reflect on what makes us distinctive and how best to express those qualities in guiding statements. The process intentionally sought input from across departments, ensuring that everyone in the college had the opportunity to contribute their perspectives. Personally, the time spent reflecting with fellow chairs on what makes each of our departments special fostered a deeper sense of shared purpose and collective commitment.” – Carrie Eaves, chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Policy and associate professor of political science and public policy

Kelly said he was pleased the final language resonated with the faculty in the college.

“The true measure of a successful attempt to lead a group or an organization towards a renewed vision, mission and core values is whether the words and sentiments ‘sound like us’,” he said. “When I heard that some faculty believed my presentation of our vision, mission and core values at our spring faculty meeting ‘sound like us,’ I knew that our work together in small and large group settings was a huge success. It means that stakeholders were heard and that the words resonate so much so that the tune or melody is familiar. The vision, mission and core values reflect truly who we are and where we are going with much intention.”

Psychology | Today at Elon | �þ���

�þ��� Alamance internships connect Elon students with community impact