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• Elon holds largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum
• Personal experience inspires Elon student鈥檚 research to help children experiencing homelessness

Dozens of students showcased research projects inspired by personal experiences and academic interests, guided by faculty mentorship, during the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The most recent SURE symposium featured more than 50 students from both 福利亚洲国产精品 and Queens University of Charlotte, marking the latest example of collaboration between two institutions in the process of merging into a united community.

鈥淪URE continues to be one of the flagship events of Elon鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program. This poster session is a celebration of their dedication and growth as budding young scholars,鈥� said Justin Clar, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of chemistry. 鈥淚 was especially pleased that we were joined by amazing students from Queens who shared their work with the Elon community.鈥�

At Elon, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience has for years provided student researchers with a stipend to spend eight weeks working full-time on a project in collaboration with a faculty mentor with substantial and recognized expertise in the discipline.

The program concludes every July with a symposium that deepens students鈥� knowledge of the research experience while offering an opportunity to grow their public speaking and presentation skills.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to share their summer research in a low-stakes environment,” said Kira McEntire, director of undergraduate research and creative work; and associate professor of biology at Queens. “It was also fun to see the Elon students sharing their summer projects and to learn about some of the interests of Elon colleagues.”

At Queens, the university holds its annual in the spring, a campus-wide celebration of academic inquiry and community impact. The day starts with oral and poster presentations, followed by service activities in the afternoon.

Personal connections

For many students at SURE, like Elon student聽Thomas Gress 鈥�27, projects carried a deeply personal connection. Gress designed a four-week study comparing exercise approaches for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, inspired in part by his brother鈥檚 experience with the condition.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include difficulty thinking, severe tiredness, and other issues.

鈥淏efore I started this project, (my brother had) been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight. So, this was something small that I could do to be of use,鈥� said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. 鈥淔or all of these patients, there鈥檚 no other option. There are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.鈥�

Queens student Isabella Sherman 鈥�27 has a love for nature that inspired her to explore plant communities at the Carolina Wildlands Foundation with mentor E. Davis Carter, assistant professor of biology at Queens.

鈥淚t was an excellent experience,鈥� said Sherman, a conservation biology major from Charlotte. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really close to what I want to do with my career. I love research, I love forestry, and every time I went out there, I was like, 鈥楾his is exactly what I want to do.鈥� This kind of information is what people take into consideration when they鈥檙e trying to develop land or provide an additional environment for fauna and flora.鈥�

Mentoring relationships

A common thread among many of the projects was the close relationship students developed with their faculty mentors.

Anna Grace Gilbert 鈥�27, an Elon psychology major from Knoxville, Tennessee, says Associate Professor of Psychology Sabrina Perkins 鈥渃ompletely changed鈥� her undergraduate experience through their work studying infant motor development.

鈥淚鈥檝e worked with (Professor Perkins) technically since the summer of my freshman year. I just reached out to her and was like, 鈥業 love babies. I鈥檇 love to work with you,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful. We鈥檝e really bonded over these almost three years.鈥�

For Jack VanValkenburg 鈥�27, a Queens student majoring in data analytics, undergraduate research provided an opportunity to apply his technical skills. He worked with Queens Assistant Professor of Biology Denni Einersson to develop a computerized system for organizing trash collected during community cleanup events.

鈥淚t was a great opportunity to work with people who know more than me. The coding that I鈥檝e done in the past is more analytical and this was more developmental,鈥� said VanValkenburg, who is from Atlanta. 鈥�(Clean-up crews) would go out with field cards, like pencil and paper, and just mark things down, which was super timely and it鈥檚 very inconvenient, and then that just led to a lot of data that wasn鈥檛 being used.”

Pushing through the learning process

Elon business analytics major Chase Hannibal 鈥�28 examined the sense of belonging among Black business students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. It can sometimes feel isolating as a Black female business student, Hannibal said.

鈥淚 just wanted to see if other students felt that way, and if it was a pattern, what could be fixed,鈥� Hannibal said. 鈥�(I wanted to) let other students know that you鈥檙e not alone.鈥�

Hannibal says her mentor, Shanetta Pendleton, assistant professor of strategic communications, pushed her to be better, even when she was at her 鈥渟topping point.鈥�

鈥淓ven when I felt at the worst of the worst, she supported me throughout everything,鈥� Hannibal said. 鈥淪he was great, and I鈥檓 very excited to work with her in the future.鈥�

Amelia Weaver 鈥�28 also explored the experiences of college students, particularly women. Her Elon Honors Fellows research examines the motivations of college-aged women who participate in sports betting after she noticed women were less vocal about the topic in class discussions.

鈥淚t made me think about why the women in the class weren鈥檛 as talkative or excited about their own experiences with sports betting,鈥� said Weaver, a sport management and media analytics double major with a minor in . 鈥淚 wondered if this was because they didn鈥檛 participate, didn鈥檛 care, or they just didn鈥檛 want to say anything.鈥�

Weaver said her mentor, Alex Traugutt, an assistant professor of sport management, has helped guide her through the process.

鈥淗e immediately said, 鈥楾his is going to be a partnership. We鈥檙e going to take steps together. We鈥檙e going to figure this out together. I鈥檓 not just going to throw you into everything,鈥欌�� said Weaver. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been really helpful in the learning process.鈥�

This year, an international teaching team from England and Ireland designed and taught a course called Your Place in the World: Exploring Identity, Sustainability, and AI. This interactive course engaged Scholars in several central questions: Who are you? How does the world around you work? And where do you belong in it?

Engaging pedagogical approaches like photovoice, campus mapping and reflective journals allowed scholars to engage deeply with course content. Scholars participated in activities to learn about the environmental landscape, the ethical use of AI, and navigating belonging in different spaces. One member of the teaching team, Aoife Prendergast from the Technical University of the Shannon in Ireland, said that a highlight of the course was

“Diving into the rich, lived experiences shared through the narratives of the group. The most powerful moments came from hearing the scholars weave their personal life stories into their visions for the future,” said聽Aoife Prendergast from the Technical University of the Shannon in Ireland, one of the members of the teaching team. “Watching everyone reflect on what ‘belonging’ truly means both personally and professionally created a deeply collaborative and resonant atmosphere in the room. It is clear that these narratives are shaping some truly inspiring and thoughtful pathways for the future!”

This international teaching team and transatlantic approach to this course allowed scholars to engage with a different set of cultures and a different concept of what education can be. Scholars were able to form deep connections with each other, their teaching team and the course content in ways that encouraged them to apply it to their futures.

鈥淭hroughout the three weeks, this class really opened my eyes and drew me to a new perspective of the world,” one scholar said. “We learned about perspectives of the world and how we all see the world differently, and we connected it to AI and how AI picks up on our culture and creates its own perspectives through patterns. The instructors always made me feel like I belong and they allowed me to open my mind and curiosity.鈥�

Another Scholar shared how the course inspired them to see community in a different light.

鈥淭his class gave me the opportunity to meet people outside of the country where I live and to see how community can be built in different environments,” another scholar reflected. “Every day was engaging and we were always doing something hands-on that made the course exciting. The instructors all came from different backgrounds, which felt so diverse, and I loved hearing about their cultures. I felt both academically and intellectually challenged in the course, which made me critically think about who I am in this world and how we can connect that to AI.鈥�

Tom Ritchie from the University of Warwick in the UK served as the lead instructor and designed the course in partnership with Evan Small, the Elon Academy faculty scholar. As a Fulbright Scholar, Ritchie was able to provide Elon Academy students with an exposure to additional post-graduate international education opportunities.

“This course exemplifies what makes Elon Academy so special – the willingness of our faculty, partners and supporters to create transformative learning experiences that expand our Scholars’ perspectives and help them see themselves as part of a much larger world,” said Emily Wiersma, director of the Elon Academy. “Through this collaborative course, our scholars were challenged to think critically, embrace new perspectives, build meaningful connections across cultures, and develop the confidence, curiosity, and global mindset that will serve them well in college, their careers, and their communities.”

At the conference, faculty members Shirley Etienne, Jeanmarie Koonts and Lori Hubbard also highlighted unique features of the innovative Elon Nursing curriculum scaffolded to build equity competence through intentional community and global engagement. Nursing courses delivered across the sophomore, junior, and senior years focus on population health concepts, social and structural determinants of health, and patient advocacy.

Etienne, who recently championed an Advancing Equity Requirement (AER) designation for NRS 2000 Healthcare Relationships I, shared how students critically examine their own cultural identities, biases and values to understand how these factors influence practice. Experiential learning occurs through an Affinity Bias Analysis, cultural immersion activity, and Bridging Racial Health Disparities group project focused on advocacy and nursing interventions.

Hubbard expounded on students鈥� opportunities in NRS 4200 Population and Community Health to critically analyze community-level health disparities, identify barriers to equitable care, and develop and implement strategies to promote health during clinical rotations in the local community. Hubbard was also featured in a poster session with results from her study 鈥淐hildbirth Self-Efficacy and Factors Influencing Labor and Birth in the Dominican Republic.”

Koonts finished the presentation by describing how the preparatory seminar and both NRS 4300 (local) and NRS 4315 (global) Healthcare Relationships II foster intercultural awareness, ethical engagement, and global health literacy. Through the intentional design and sequence of these courses, Elon nursing students examine intersectionality and cultural influences on health outcomes. They develop responsibility as local and global citizens committed to reducing health disparities.

During the recent accreditation process, curriculum design to promote competence in health equity was highlighted as one of the most compelling features of the Elon Nursing program. Program outcomes demonstrate increased cultural humility, population health competency, and a deeper understanding of the structural determinants of health. This experiential, evidence-based model exemplifies how nursing programs can intentionally cultivate equity competence that bridges theory and practice to prepare nurses for inclusive, compassionate, and globally responsive and informed care.

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on Elon鈥檚 campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

“The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest milestones in a student鈥檚 life, and after working with first-year students for many years, I鈥檝e learned that one of the most common things they say is 鈥業 wish I had known what to expect,鈥�” said Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs. 鈥淧hoenix Summer gives students the opportunity to experience college before they get here full time.鈥�

Students lived in the residence halls, navigated campus, ate in the dining hall, learned from Elon faculty, connected with staff and explored the academic and social opportunities Elon has to offer.

Students selected two courses to take throughout the camp, including Order in the court!, An introduction to law and justice, taught by Shilanka Lewis, assistant professor of law; Chemistry in the kitchen, taught by Mary McManamy, associate teaching professor of chemistry; Exploring astronomical and poetic light, taught by Claudine Moreau, assistant teaching professor of physics; and Start-up Spring: concept to creation, taught by Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship and Dan Reis, assistant director of creative learning technologies.

鈥淭he Phoenix Summer faculty were truly the highlight of this pre-college experience,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭heir enthusiasm, passion and genuine engagement with their subject matter inspired students to see college as a place to explore their interests and discover new possibilities.鈥�

Each day the students spent time learning and engaging in the classroom through a variety of hands-on lessons.

“The law class was my favorite part of the camp,鈥� said Ava Hendricks, an eleventh grade student from Raleigh, North Carolina. 鈥淚 have always been interested in law and what we have been doing in the class to prepare for a mock trial has been so cool. Phoenix Summer gave me the opportunity to picture college. I would never have known what college would be like without this possibility.鈥�

During the day, students participated in their courses, while evenings and weekends were filled with social events, activities, several off-campus excursions and signature Elon experiences to help students build community. Activities students participated in included a trivia night, human bingo, s鈥檓ore making, karaoke, a water balloon fight and a sip and paint.

“My favorite parts of the camp were meeting new people, living in a dorm and attending the classes,鈥� said Sienna Rohan, a twelfth grade student from Greensboro, Georgia. “It鈥檚 been nice meeting new people, and I鈥檝e learned a lot about Elon.鈥�

Higgins’ hope is that students left the camp聽with not only a greater appreciation for Elon, but also a renewed excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead as the students transition from high school to college.

鈥淭he primary goal of Phoenix Summer is to provide high school students with an authentic college experience that builds confidence, independence and a sense of belonging before they begin their college journey,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭he most exciting part of the camp was watching the students truly thrive in the experiences we intentionally designed for them.

鈥淚 watched them blossom from students who arrived on the first day feeling nervous and uncertain about what to expect into confident, engaged learners 鈥� and, in the case of our Order in the Court students, budding lawyers in training. I hope they leave believing in themselves. Whether they ultimately choose Elon or another institution, I hope Elon will always hold a special place in their hearts as the place where they first experienced college and began to see themselves as future college students.鈥�

For more information about Phoenix Summer and information about future camps, contact Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs, at thiggings7@elon.edu.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) recently welcomed Assistant Professor of Education, Nermin Vehabovic, as a guest lecturer in its Refugee Education course. Invited by Sofia Noori, assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Nermin engaged teacher candidates in examining the role of stories in refugee education through the guiding question, “How do we listen to the stories of others?”

Situated on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people in Vancouver, and connected through the broader traditional territories of Indigenous nations across British Columbia, UBC is recognized as a global center for research and teaching and is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world.

Noori’s Refugee Education course prepares teacher candidates to better understand the histories, lived experiences and educational realities of children and youth from refugee backgrounds. The course explores how schools, classrooms, and community partnerships can foster equitable learning environments while strengthening relationships with newcomer families and communities.

Rather than delivering a traditional lecture, Nermin designed an interactive, participatory session grounded in the principles of his scholarship on humanizing 聽education. He invited teacher candidates to reflect on their own stories before considering how educators can cultivate classrooms where the stories, languages, identities, and ways of knowing of children, youth, and families from refugee backgrounds are genuinely heard and valued.

“My intention was for us to be in community with one another as colleagues and educators,” Nermin said. “I wanted the experience to model the very practices we hope to cultivate in schools鈥攍istening, relationality and learning with others rather than simply teaching to them.”

Throughout the session, participants explored the importance of unlearning deficit perspectives, assumptions, savior mentalities and monolingual expectations that can limit meaningful engagement with students and families. The discussion emphasized ethical listening as a foundational practice for building culturally sustaining and humanizing classrooms.

Nermin also shared examples from Welcome New Neighbor, the community-engaged initiative he founded through 福利亚洲国产精品’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. The program partners teacher candidates with families from refugee backgrounds through home-based literacy experiences that position families’ languages, cultures, and knowledge as educational assets. During the session, he highlighted how the initiative prepares teacher candidates to build reciprocal relationships with multilingual families while reimagining homes as important spaces of learning, belonging, and affirmation.

Drawing on his research, Nermin also discussed the interconnected roles of transnationalism, translanguaging, picturebooks and family literacies in supporting refugee-background children and youth, as well as their families. Participants considered how storytelling can become a vehicle for cultivating belonging, honoring identities and strengthening relationships between schools and communities.

The invitation reflects Nermin’s growing international collaborations in literacy and teacher education, as well as his ongoing scholarship centered on humanizing educational practices and preparing educators to work alongside families across culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The Love School of Business is one of 208 schools included on the unranked annual list, which is based on surveys of business school administrators and MBA students.

The program earned its for faculty teaching and availability. Students gave Elon a 97 for the quality of its professors as teachers and a 96 for faculty accessibility outside the classroom.

鈥淥ur faculty set a high standard for teaching while remaining deeply invested in each student鈥檚 success,鈥� said Haya Ajjan, dean of the Love School of Business. 鈥淭hey bring strong academic and professional experience into the classroom, challenge students to grow and make themselves available beyond class. That combination is central to the Elon MBA experience.鈥�

The Princeton Review selected the programs using data collected in 2025鈥�26 from administrators at 245 schools offering on-campus MBA programs and more than 24,250 students. More than 60 data points were considered, including academics, faculty, career services, technology, campus life and student satisfaction.

The Princeton Review鈥檚 of the Love School of Business highlights the MBA program鈥檚 flexible format, small class sizes and supportive environment. Students surveyed for the profile praised the program鈥檚 leadership focus, accessible professors and options for working professionals.

Students also noted that professors are willing to meet outside class and bring professional experience into their courses.

福利亚洲国产精品 the MBA program

The Master of Business Administration program is designed for professionals who want to strengthen their business knowledge and leadership skills while continuing to work.

The program offers full- and part-time options, small classes and close access to faculty. Students also receive advising and career support throughout the program.

Applications are reviewed throughout the year for fall, winter and spring enrollment.

Students apply to the annual research symposium, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year. It is one of several opportunities for students to showcase undergraduate research, a cornerstone of the Elon education and one of the five聽Elon Experiences. Students are also able to present scholarly work at the聽Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Presentations encompass a variety of topics, including helping teachers work with students facing homelessness, finding therapies for an ‘elusive chronic disease‘ and studying the motivations of women participating in sports betting.聽

There will be two separate poster presentations:

• 9 to 10:15 a.m.
• 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.

The Elon community is invited to attend and learn more about the students鈥� scholarship.

For his first undergraduate research project at Elon, Thomas Gress 鈥�27 is looking to make an impact on people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, including his own brother.

鈥淏efore I started this, he鈥檇 been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight,鈥� said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. 鈥淪o, this was something small that I could do to be of use.鈥�

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include trouble thinking, severe tiredness and other symptoms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of an elusive chronic disease,鈥� Gress said. 鈥淭here are no pharmacotherapies available and there are no biomarkers for confirmed disease, so all we can do is experiment with lifestyle, and a big part of that is exercise.鈥�

Exercise is the focus of Gress鈥� research, working with Professor of Exercise Science Eric Hall to design a four-week study to compare two different approaches to exercise. Before the study begins, each participant undergoes a walking test to determine their comfortable walking distance. Most participants are expected to walk between 10 and 20 minutes, although no one is expected to walk for more than 45 minutes.

Participants are then divided into two groups: graded exercise therapy and pacing therapy. The study focuses on the concept of an 鈥渆nergy envelope,鈥� a term used to describe the amount of physical activity a person鈥檚 body can comfortably perform. One approach suggests that people may benefit from gradually pushing beyond their usual limits, while the other suggests that people should stay within their comfort zone and adjust activity levels based on how they feel.

During the study, participants use their baseline walking time to set weekly goals. In the first week, they are asked to walk for 80% of their baseline time. This increases to 90% in the second week, 100% in the third week and 110% in the fourth week. However, there is an important difference between the two groups. Participants in the graded exercise therapy group are required to follow this schedule exactly. Participants in the pacing therapy group are encouraged to follow the schedule but have the flexibility to adjust their activity based on their energy levels and personal needs.

Gress will present his research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) presentations on July 23 in the Snow Family Grand Atrium. Students apply to the annual research symposium, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year. It is one of several opportunities for students to showcase undergraduate research, a cornerstone of the Elon education and one of the five聽Elon Experiences. Students are also able to present scholarly work at the聽Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Gress hopes this research will reveal which approach is more effective at helping participants stay committed to the program and whether either method leads to lower levels of fatigue, hopefully helping people with CFS.

鈥淔or all of these patients, there’s no other option,鈥� Gress said. 鈥淭here are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.鈥�

Calling the biggest fan of 鈥淭he Joe Murray Show,鈥� 98.5 The Sports Hub鈥檚 weeknight program, might be an understatement. The sport management major estimates she tuned in to the Boston-based program nearly 300 times last year. So, when the station offered her an internship this summer, she knew it was the perfect fit.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a really well-rounded internship, and that鈥檚 what I think is truly going to help me,鈥� the aspiring sports broadcaster said.

While Marchand鈥檚 shift at the radio station doesn鈥檛 start until 6 p.m., she has her hands full with a wide range of duties the rest of the night. She answers incoming calls from listeners, assists with the station’s YouTube stream and creates graphics for social media. But what excites her the most is the chance to go live on the air.

鈥淭hat’s probably the biggest opportunity I’ve had,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s really nice that they trust me to go on the radio with thousands of people listening.鈥�

Early in the internship, the show’s producer wrote an entire segment for Marchand, giving her the chance to discuss the New England Patriots on the air. A few weeks later, she was helping the station’s social media team cover one of the most consequential days in Boston sports, following the Celtics’ blockbuster trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Those opportunities grew from a connection Marchand had pursued long before the internship began.

Because internships at 98.5 The Sports Hub aren’t publicly posted, Marchand said networking is essential. In fact, when Marchand initially sent Joe Murray a message on LinkedIn during her freshman year, securing an internship wasn鈥檛 on her mind.

鈥淔unny enough, he left me on ‘read’ the first time I messaged him,鈥� Marchand said. 鈥淎 year later, I reached out again and said, 鈥楬ey, I waited a year. I’d still love to find time to chat. I know you’re really busy.鈥� The second time, he answered.鈥�

When he finally responded, Murray asked a question that changed everything.

鈥淒o you know Katie Bennert?鈥� he wrote back, referencing the 2024 Elon graduate who both interned and worked at the station. Marchand had never met the Elon alumna, but had heard positive things about her from friends involved with Elon Sports Vision. That shared Elon connection prompted Murray to invite Marchand to tour the studio over Winter Break. That鈥檚 when he offered her a spot to join his production team.

鈥淚 decided that this would be the best opportunity for me, working at a major market Boston sports radio station, and it’s been amazing,鈥� she said.

While her internship began this summer, Marchand is no stranger to sports broadcasting. During her first two years at Elon, she has contributed to more than 50 Elon Sports Vision broadcasts as a play-by-play announcer, sideline reporter and more. This past year, she became the youngest of three student hosts to call Elon Division I football games on the radio and co-hosted her own sports radio show with Scott Katz 鈥�26. She has also worked more than 90 shifts with Elon Athletics, gaining additional behind-the-scenes experience in game-day operations.

鈥淏eing able to have that on my resume at just 19 years old, where a lot of people may not have those opportunities 鈥� I think that that’s really what Elon has helped me with,鈥� Marchand said. 鈥淚 don’t think I would have gotten those opportunities anywhere else.鈥�

At Elon, Marchand has sharpened her on-air delivery and become comfortable working in a studio environment. Now she’s learning how to be more creative producing content centered on sports conversations rather than live competition. She’s also learning to separate her professional responsibilities from her passion as a fan.

Growing up just an hour outside Boston, Marchand has been a fan of the city’s professional sports teams since she was young. In August, she’ll attend Patriots training camp to capture photos and create content for the station.

“You do have to separate being a fan from your professional work, so I can’t fangirl over them when I’m there,” she said. “I have to be professional.”

While Marchand’s own initiative opened the door at 98.5 The Sports Hub, she credits the guidance she received at Elon with helping her walk through it. Assistant Professor of Sport Management Khirey Walker, in particular, played an important role in her internship search.

鈥淗e is just one of the most passionate, hardworking, selfless and kind people that I know at Elon,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e will literally drop anything to help any of his students.鈥�

This fall, Marchand will continue her journey through The Sport Experience in Charlotte, where she’ll live, intern and study while expanding her experience in one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports business markets.

鈥淭he class told us about 鈥榙oubled-up homelessness,鈥� where you鈥檙e living with family or others, and you鈥檙e living under a roof, but it鈥檚 not your home. I had no idea that was a thing,鈥� said Brandon, an elementary education major from Hastings, Michigan.

Now, Brandon is working with Jill McSweeney, assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, and assistant professor of wellness, on a project examining the ways that North Carolina elementary school teachers and homeless liaisons are collaborating to help students experiencing homelessness.

According to Brandon, each North Carolina school district has a homeless education liaison responsible for managing resources, funding and teacher training. Brandon and McSweeney are working with the North Carolina Homeless Education Program to survey and interview teachers across the state to improve the training educators receive on supporting students experiencing homelessness.

鈥淎 liaison can be the best liaison in the whole world, and they can’t be with every student in the district supporting their needs every day and seeing their day-to-day life like a teacher does,鈥� Brandon said. 鈥淏ut in North Carolina and nationwide, most teachers are never trained by their liaison just because there’s not enough time. They have no idea about all the funding that is available to them, and instead they’re spending hundreds of dollars every year out of their own pocket to buy food, clothing and hygiene products.鈥�

Brandon will be presenting her work at the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) presentations on July 23 in the Snow Family Grand Atrium. Students apply to the annual research symposium, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year. It is one of several opportunities for students to showcase undergraduate research, a cornerstone of the Elon education and one of the five Elon Experiences. Students are also able to present scholarly work at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Working with McSweeney, Brandon says, has been a transformative experience. McSweeney鈥檚 research area focuses on college student experiences on campus and in the classroom, along with a broad focus on teaching and learning. But Brandon says, despite not focusing specifically on K-12 education, McSweeney was excited to work with her.

鈥淚 cannot imagine what my undergraduate experience would be like if Jill McSweeney was not my mentor,鈥� Brandon said. 鈥淪he taught me how to do research because Teaching Fellows are not only expected to do research, but our course schedules are so rigorous that we can’t take a methods course. So, she was helping me with my research, teaching me how to do research, and what research methods were, and also showing me how to navigate higher education as a system.鈥�

As Brandon prepares to graduate next spring, she hopes to continue her education at Elon through the Teach for Alamance program. The Elon scholarship program provides full tuition remission and a small stipend to teacher-candidate graduates of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education who wish to enroll in聽Elon鈥檚 Master of Education program. This project, she hopes, will also help her future colleagues in the Alamance-Burlington School System.

鈥淚 wanted to make sure that I was doing research that would have an impact that reached the people that it was about and not just the academic community,鈥� Brandon said. 鈥淚 know that I can’t redesign legal systems, and I can鈥檛 fix all of the state鈥檚 problems that are causing homelessness to happen. I wanted to see what the most is that I could do with undergraduate research to make sure that more students are supported.鈥�