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Fall 2024 Academic Symposium Showcases Exceptional Student Work
Students shared their capstone academic experiences with the campus community
University News | December 5, 2024
Senior Alexia Stechele ‘24 presented her poster, “Beyond the Tank: Life of an Aquarist,” during VWU’s Fall Academic Symposium on December 4. The poster depicted details about her recent internship experience at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, Virginia. The Earth and Environmental Sciences major is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree on December 20.
“My internship introduced me to so many skills,” noted Stechele, “such as the identification of more than 100 native species of fish, life support system maintenance, how to build a dedicated food plan for various species, procedures for caring for sick animals, water quality maintenance, how to troubleshoot issues, and so much more.”
Stechele’s internship adventure was one of nearly 70 experiences showcased by students who presented their capstone academic endeavors for the semester during the Symposium’s Poster Fair Session held in the Cunningham Multi-Activity Center (CMAC) in the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
This semester’s Symposium showcased high impact learning through student presentations on global engagement, internships, research and creative productions. The main events included the popular poster fair session and a premier student speaker panel with student presentations in Hofheimer Theatre, as well as Brock School Presentations, and Senior Seminar and Internships in Media and Communication Presentations.
.jpeg "Premier Speaker Panel: Mae Bryant, Andrew Steiner, Veronika Murphy, Katelyn Baker")
Premier speakers were introduced by Director of Undergraduate Research and Creativity John Rudel, who coordinates the Symposium each semester. Premier student speakers included: Mae Bryant, who presented “An Atom of Give in the Goods,” under the mentorship of Associate Professor of History Dr. Richard Bond; Andrew Steiner, who presented, “No I in Team (or Restaurant): Korean Restaurant Culture,” with mentorship from Director of Global Engagement Brooke Novkovic; Veronika Murphy, who presented “Pairing Up: Dimerization of Signaling Proteins in the Pathogen C. difficile,” under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Caitlyn Williams; and Katelyn Baker, who presented “Veterinary Medicine in a Land Down Under,” with assistance from Professor of Theatre Dr. Travis Malone.
Held near the end of each semester, Academic Symposium brings the campus community together to celebrate the achievements of students completing a variety of academic experiences. Designed to promote advanced level thinking and intellectual discourse among various academic disciplines, the event also encourages an exchange of ideas and inspiration that results from the public presentation of interesting and exceptional student work.
View the list of presenters and learn more about VWU's Academic Symposium.