鈥淭he research I do has nothing to do with dance,鈥� says Scherich, the A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics and assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Elon. 鈥淒ance is just the mechanism in which I communicate my research.鈥�

Scherich鈥檚 research focuses on topology, a branch of mathematics that studies flexible geometric shapes that remain preserved through deformation such as twisting, stretching or bending without opening holes, tearing or passing through themselves. More specifically, her research centers on knot theory, a field examining mathematical knots and braids.

Advanced mathematics requires years of foundational knowledge and technical language that can be difficult to explain to those outside the discipline. This challenge prompted Scherich to think creatively about how to share her work with broader audiences in an accessible way.

鈥淢athematics can be very abstract and uses a lot of specific jargon language,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淚t can be difficult to tell somebody about your work, because first you have to define years鈥� worth of math before you can even get started. I was looking for ways to explain what math is in a way where you do not necessarily understand the technicalities, but you can get a flavor for what we are studying.鈥�

Dance allows her to bypass that barrier, not by simplifying math but by translating it into a story with motion and emotion.

鈥淒ance is a really effective way to emotionally story-tell,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really think in terms of dialogue. I think in terms of movement.鈥�

Scherich鈥檚 work intentionally challenges stereotypes surrounding mathematics. Many of her videos feature female dancers and traditionally feminine aesthetics, in contrast to what has historically been a male-dominated field.

鈥淲hen you think of a ballet dancer, you think of a woman,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淲hen you think of a mathematician, you probably don鈥檛.鈥�

The intersection of dance and mathematics flows into her work with students. She collaborated with Sol Addison 鈥�25 and Lila Snodgrass 鈥�26 on research examining how dancers move across a stage over time to define a new knot invariant called the danceability index.

In the classroom, Scherich uses videos of her dances as part of a larger narrative. She might begin a lecture by introducing different branches of mathematics such as algebra, geometry and topology through movement, giving students a conceptual framework before diving into formal definitions. One of her recent pieces uses , a foundational result in knot theory. The videos do not replace traditional instruction but provide students with another way to grasp complex ideas.

Scherich鈥檚 path to mathematics was far from linear. Growing up in California, she left high school early to pursue performance opportunities and began college at 14, initially planning a future in performing arts. Encouraged by her father, a high school math teacher, she also enrolled in math courses as a backup plan.

I was looking for ways to explain what math is in a way where you do not necessarily understand the technicalities, but you can get a flavor for what we are studying.聽鈥� Nancy Scherich

She changed majors several times 鈥� performance, French, biochemistry, chemistry 鈥� before mathematics finally stuck. The turning point came during a calculus class when she learned how to calculate the volume of a three-dimensional shape created by rotating a two-dimensional object.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 think I just became a mathematician; this is so cool. I鈥檓 in,鈥欌�� Scherich says.

For years, Scherich kept dance and math separate. That changed during graduate school at the University of California, Santa Barbara when she learned about Science magazine鈥檚 鈥淒ance Your Ph.D.鈥� competition. Encouraged by a friend, she spent an entire summer creating a dance video inspired by her dissertation research. The project went on to win the competition.

鈥淚 feel like the video I created is probably my life鈥檚 masterpiece,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淪o much love and passion went into that dance video. Since then, every time I am doing research or learn a new piece of mathematics, or I鈥檓 having trouble explaining math to someone, I think 鈥楥an I make a dance about this?鈥欌��

While the approach is unconventional, Scherich says the response from the mathematics community has been overwhelmingly positive.

鈥淧eople will come up to me at conferences and say, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the math and dance girl, right?鈥欌�� Scherich says. “They appreciate that it鈥檚 making math accessible and fun.鈥�

The 2025-26 academic year also marked major milestones in Scherich鈥檚 career. She was named the A.L Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics and received a $125,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support her research and community building within Elon鈥檚 Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Through her work, Scherich continues to demonstrate that mathematics is not limited to formulas and symbols on a page. By combining movement, storytelling and research, she offers students and audiences a new way to see mathematics 鈥� as dynamic, creative and deeply human.

Kranec, an applied mathematics and biomedical engineering major, whose research focuses on using a mathematical model to better understand how the immune system responds during COVID-19 and how that response may contribute to heart damage. She developed a system of differential equations that describes the interactions between the virus, immune cells and cytokines in the heart. Kranec has conducted this research with Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu.

Their goal is to better understand how immune dysregulation can lead to cardiac complications during infection.

鈥淎s an applied mathematics and biomedical engineering student, I鈥檝e always been drawn to how mathematics can be applied in real-world health problems,鈥� Kranec said. 鈥淐OVID-19 really highlighted how complex the interactions between the immune system and an infection are, and I was super interested in how mathematical modeling could help to answer biological questions that might be different to experimentally study.鈥�

This research project allows Kranec to combine her interests in mathematics, biology and medicine.

鈥淩eceiving this award is incredibly meaningful to me,鈥� Kranec said. 鈥淚t is a privilege to have my presentation recognized by other researchers and educators in the mathematical community. This award reflects not only the research itself, but the mentorship we received and the collaborative effort that went into this project. Being award this prize has given me more confidence in pursuing interdisciplinary research in the future.鈥�

Her research poster was submitted as part of the MAA MathFest presentation session for undergraduate students. Kranec recalled being surprised and honored to receive the award at MathFest.

鈥淚 had seen many other impressive projects being presented at the conference, so I was grateful that the judges held my work in the same high esteem,鈥� Kranec said. 鈥淚t was a very rewarding and exciting moment.鈥�

At the MAA MathFest conference, Kranec enjoyed the opportunity to explain her research on how mathematical models can be used to provide insights into complex biological systems and hearing questions and new perspectives from others.

Keopagnapech Ngoun 鈥�26, James Felder 鈥�27, and Andrew Pipeling 鈥�29 also contributed to this project.

鈥淩eceiving this award was an honor, and although my research group members were not able to attend the conference, I am grateful to have represented our team鈥檚 research at the conference,鈥� Kranec said.

Kranec attended the conference with Ryu through support from a National Science Foundation grant to fund Ryu’s research on COVID-19.

鈥淎s a mentor, there is nothing more rewarding than watching a student grow in confidence and begin to see herself as a researcher,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淟isa has worked hard on her project, so seeing her research recognized at a national conference was a very proud moment for me. This award is a wonderful recognition of her curiosity, persistence and growth, but it also shows what undergraduates can accomplish when they are given meaningful opportunities to engage with research. This is just the beginning for Lisa, over the next two years, she will continue her interdisciplinary research through her Lumen project, Mathematical modeling of excessive collagen production in cardiac fibrosis, under the joint mentorship of Efrain Rivera-Serrano and I. I鈥檓 excited to see how she continues to grow as an interdisciplinary researcher.鈥�

Ayesh Awad 鈥�24 received this award at the 2024 MathFest conference.

Established in 2007, the Janet L. Andersen Award for Undergraduate Research in Mathematical or Computational Biology honors Janet Andersen, professor of mathematics, at Hope College.

Recipients of the annual awards are nominated by their colleagues and selected by the College鈥檚 dean and associate deans.

鈥淓ach of these award recipients demonstrate dedication to their students and colleagues,鈥� said Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淚 am so pleased to recognize each of these faculty and staff members for all of their work and contributions to supporting the mission of the College.鈥�

The 2026 College Excellence Award recipients:

Excellence in Teaching Award

Kristen Mazur

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

Associate Professor Kristen Mazur builds her classrooms around the idea that students learn best when they are encouraged to take intellectual risks, embrace productive struggles and grow through challenges. She was the leader in the development of Elon鈥檚 Precalculus program and co-creator of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Assistant Program, helping strengthen pathways into science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. She received the Trevor Evans Award, established by the Mathematical Association of America, for scholarship of an exceptional mathematics article that is accessible to undergraduates which was published in 鈥淢ath Horizons.鈥� Mazur also has multiple publications with undergraduate co-authors.

Excellence in Scholarship

Yanica Faustin

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Assistant Professor Yanica Faustin鈥檚 work focuses on health equity and understanding and dismantling the systemic and structural barriers that shape health and well-being for marginalized communities. Faustin was Elon鈥檚 first recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action award, a national grant supporting groundbreaking scholarship that advances health equity. This award helped position Elon on a national stage in public health research. In addition to peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations and public scholarship, she has built a research program committed to developing future scholars. Faustin has also advanced national conversations around maternal and reproductive health, racial inequities in birth outcomes, severe maternal morbidity and the health experiences of Black communities across the diaspora.

Excellence in Service-Leadership Award

Corey Roberts

Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies

Assistant Professor Corey Roberts’ service has been defined by a commitment to collaboration and community engagement. Through leadership of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) Heritage Language and Learning Working Group, Roberts helped secure multiple grants, develop educational initiatives, organize conferences and workshops and deepens the partnership between 福利亚洲国产精品 and the OBSN. These efforts brought together students, faculty, staff, tribal leaders and community members in meaningful and lasting ways. He helped to lead the creation and installation of a historic marker at The Oaks that includes Yesa:sah铆 language and a land acknowledgment, along with coordinating signage on OBSN tribal grounds. The dedication brought more than 120 members of the Elon and tribal communities together. Roberts also helped organize the Undergraduate Conference on Languages and Cultures, coordinated Polyglot Lunches, co-advises the Native American Student Association and delivered guest lectures that embody language, culture, community and belonging.

Excellence in Mentoring Award

Lauren Guilmette

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Associate Professor Lauren Guilmette has created numerous opportunities for students to connect their academic work with the wider world. From mentoring independent research projects, Honors students, Summer Undergraduate Research Experience scholars and graduate school applicants, to creating programs that connect students with faculty mentors, community partners and scholars across the country, Guilmette bands the horizons of what mentoring can be. As an advisor to the Gender & Sexuality Living Learning Community, Guilmette has cultivated spaces where students find community, leadership opportunities and a sense of belonging. Through partnerships with local organizations, grassroots initiatives, and community leaders, students have been encouraged to see themselves not simply as learners, but as engaged citizens capable of making a difference in the world. She also has a gift for connecting people, students with mentors, students with communities, students with one another and students with a deeper sense of purpose.

Staff Excellence Award

Beth DeFord

Program Assistant for Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health

Program Assistant Beth DeFord has spent more than two decades tracking down the right answer, identifying a potential problem before it arises, navigating a complicated process, helping a colleague meet a deadline and working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. Known for approaching tasks with professionalism, precision, kindness and a desire to help others succeed, faculty trust her expertise, students benefit from her support and colleagues rely on her wisdom and institutional knowledge. DeFord supports three academic departments, Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health, to provide assistance to faculty, supervise student employees, support hundreds of students and manages a building. One nominator described DeFord as a superhero who manages an enormous workload, yet somehow makes it all look effortless.

The 2026鈥�2029 CompBioPMN brings together more than 20 faculty members from primarily undergraduate institutions across the United States. The program seeks to strengthen participants’ connections to the computational biology community, reduce the professional isolation that faculty can experience at smaller institutions, and provide strategies and resources to support career advancement.

Ryu and Perreault participated in the network’s first in-person workshop Aug. 3鈥�4 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. The workshop introduced participants to the network, provided opportunities to build relationships with peers, and highlighted resources for teaching and undergraduate research.

A central component of CompBioPMN is the development of sustained peer-mentoring relationships. During the 2026鈥�27 and 2027鈥�28 academic years, participants will meet regularly in small “Alliance” groups of approximately four to six faculty members. These groups are designed to provide ongoing mentorship, accountability and community while helping participants establish and make progress toward individual professional goals.

The program also provides opportunities for participants to exchange educational resources and approaches for teaching and mentoring undergraduate research at the intersection of biology, computer science and mathematics.

Participation in CompBioPMN complements Elon’s commitment to interdisciplinary teaching, scholarship and undergraduate research. Through the network, Ryu and Perreault will have opportunities to develop new collaborations with faculty at other undergraduate-focused institutions, exchange ideas for integrating computational approaches into computational biology education and research, and bring new resources and perspectives back to the Elon community.

The CompBioPMN Program is organized by Anna Ritz, Margaret Oakley Dayhoff associate professor of bioinformatics at Reed College, and is supported by the National Science Foundation through the Division of Biological Infrastructure (Award #2527521 to Ritz).

Four Elon students and five faculty members attended the conference, presenting research and scholarly work spanning mathematical biology, mathematics education, artificial intelligence and undergraduate research.

Student Accomplishments:

• Lisa Kranec 鈥�28, a double major in applied mathematics and engineering and a Lumen Scholar, presented her research project, 鈥淢athematical Modeling of Cardiac Macrophages in COVID-19,鈥� during a poster session. Kranec is mentored by Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu, and her research is supported by the through an award to Ryu as principal investigator.
• Pagnapech Ngoun 鈥�26, an engineering graduate, and Nicolas Alvarez 鈥�27, a double major in mathematics and engineering and a Lumen Scholar, presented their published research in a poster titled 鈥淢athematical Modeling of COVID-19 Reveals Immune Cell Dysfunction.鈥� Their research presents findings from a mathematical model that accounts for interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the human immune system. Ngoun and Alvarez are mentored by Ryu, and their work is also supported by the through the award to Ryu.

Faculty Accomplishments:

• Professor of Mathematics Todd Lee gave a contributed talk titled “MAA Journal Problems Provide a Foundation for Undergraduate and High School Research Programs.”
• Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Kristen Mazur gave a contributed talk on her work titled 鈥淪ame Course, Different Outcome: Reflecting on Failure after Success in a Mathematics Capstone Course.鈥�
• Associate Teaching Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Brittany Riggs gave a contributed talk titled “An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Women throughout the History of Mathematics.”
• Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu gave an invited talk titled 鈥淔rom Failure to Insight: Rethinking Writing-to-Learn through Projects in the Age of AI鈥� during the special session 鈥淢AA Project NExT and its Impact on Teaching and Learning.鈥�
• Associate Professor of Mathematics Aaron Trocki聽gave a contributed talk titled “Using GenAI to Include Students鈥� Interests in Calculus.”

The students鈥� and faculty members鈥� participation at MathFest highlights the department鈥檚 commitment to undergraduate research, innovative teaching and engagement with the broader mathematical community. Their presentations provided opportunities to share work developed at Elon while connecting with mathematicians, educators and students from across the country.

Ryu was nominated for the award by her colleagues. The nomination process included evidence of teaching effectiveness, mentorship, contributions beyond the classroom and letters from colleagues and former or current students that document the nominee鈥檚 impact on undergraduate mathematics education.

鈥淚 was so honored to be nominated for the award,鈥� said Ryu, associate professor of mathematics. 鈥淚 was deeply touched that so many people were willing to invest their time and effort in supporting my nomination. Being nominated also gave me an opportunity to reflect on my journey as an educator and on the many students, colleagues, and mentors who have shaped that journey.鈥�

In the classroom, Ryu strives to create a space for students to actively engage with mathematics through inquiry, collaboration and problem solving. Beyond the classroom, she creates opportunities for students to participate in undergraduate research, engage in interdisciplinary projects that connect mathematics with biology, present at national conferences, publish research and grow into confident mathematicians and scholars.

鈥淭his national-level award for distinguished teaching is truly an incredible honor,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淭he MAA has been my professional home throughout my career. To be recognized by colleagues whose work I have admired for many years is both humbling and deeply meaningful. More than anything, this award reflects the students, colleagues and mentors who have inspired and supported me along the way.鈥�

To Ryu, the award signifies that teaching is about believing in students, creating opportunities for them to succeed, and helping them discover their own potential.

鈥淚 have always tried to create a classroom where students feel comfortable asking questions, taking intellectual risks and learning from mistakes,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淚 hope to inspire students to see mathematics as a creative and meaningful discipline. Knowing that the MAA recognizes this philosophy is incredibly meaningful to me, and it encourages me to continue growing as an educator and mentor.鈥�

As an award recipient, Ryu will continue giving back to the mathematical community. This year, she will serve as a Teaching Support Group Facilitator for Project NExT, supporting a new cohort of early-career mathematics faculty. She will also serve on the MAA Euler Book Prize Committee and as secretary of the BIO SIGMAA, the MAA鈥檚 Special Interest Group for Mathematical and Computational Biology. She looks forward to giving back to an organization that has had such a profound impact on her career.

鈥淧ersonally, to be selected for this award is incredibly rewarding because it recognizes the work that brings me the greatest joy鈥攚orking with students,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淧rofessionally, it affirms the importance of investing in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. At the same time, while the Alder Award recognizes excellence in teaching, I see it as a celebration of continuous growth rather than perfection. Every meaningful step in my career has been shaped by challenges and the lessons I learned from them. Those experiences have made me a more thoughtful teacher, a better mentor and a more resilient person.鈥�

Throughout her career, Ryu has mentored nearly 40 undergraduate researchers while striving to create an environment where all students, especially women, first-generation college students and international students feel welcomed, supported and confident that they belong in mathematics.

鈥淲atching students develop confidence in themselves and discover what they are capable of has been the most rewarding part of my career,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淥ne of the things I value most at Elon is the opportunity to know students as individuals and to help them grow both academically and personally. This award recognizes one individual, but it reflects the collective efforts of many people who have supported me throughout my career.鈥�

Ryu joined the MAA as a graduate student. Early in her career she participated in Project NExT, the MAA鈥檚 nationally recognized professional development program for new mathematics faculty. The program connected her with a community of educators who encouraged her to think more intentionally about teaching, mentoring and leadership.

鈥淢any of the ideas I use today鈥攊nquiry-based learning, creating inclusive classrooms and integrating undergraduate research into teaching鈥攚ere strengthened through that experience,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淩eceiving the Alder Award from the same organization makes this recognition especially meaningful because it feels like coming full circle.鈥�

Ryu was honored with the award at the 2026 MAA MathFest annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts on August 7. As part of the award ceremony, she will deliver an award address titled 鈥淔rom Outlier to Teacher-Scholar-Mentor: Lessons from Productive Struggle.鈥� The talk reflects Ryu鈥檚 personal and professional journey and how challenges, setbacks, and unexpected experiences shaped her teaching philosophy and mentoring approach.

Created in 2003, the Henry L. Alder Award is presented annually to up to three early-career college or university mathematics faculty members in recognition of extraordinary success and effectiveness in undergraduate mathematics education and for an impact that extends beyond their own classrooms.

The MAA is the world鈥檚 largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts.

Clark has been a member of the MAA since 1978, when he joined as a student member. While at the conference, he also attended talks on abstract algebra and pedagogy as well as talks by some of his many departmental colleagues also attending.

Viral myocarditis is a potentially serious condition in which a viral infection triggers excessive inflammation that damages the heart. When the body detects the virus, it activates an immediate defense system called the innate immune response. That response is necessary for controlling the infection, but if it is too strong, lasts too long or occurs at the wrong time; the resulting inflammation can also damage heart tissue. Their project seeks to understand why the immune response sometimes protects the heart and, at other times, contributes to injury.

A mathematical model allows Ryu and Rivera-Serrano to create a simplified, virtual representation of what is happening inside the infected heart in ways that are currently impossible to achieve using biology and experiments alone. They will use equations to describe how the amount of virus changes over time, how different heart and immune cells respond, how those cells communicate through signaling molecules, and how those interactions influence inflammation and tissue damage.

鈥淥ur goal is to develop a mathematical model that integrates several biological processes occurring during viral myocarditis, including viral replication, infection and death of heart muscle cells, activation of antiviral defenses, recruitment of immune cells, inflammatory signaling and longer-term tissue damage,鈥� said Ryu, associate professor of mathematics.

This will be a highly interdisciplinary project. Ryu, as a principal investigator, will lead the development, simulation and mathematical analysis of the model, while Rivera-Serrano, as a co-principal investigator, will provide expertise in virology, cell biology and innate immunity and will lead the experimental component.

鈥淭he mathematical and laboratory work will inform one another鈥攅xperimental findings will help us make the model more biologically realistic, while predictions from the model will help us decide which biological interactions and hypotheses should be tested in the laboratory with undergraduate researchers here at Elon,鈥� Ryu said.

The project combines computational research, led by Ryu, with hands-on laboratory experiments, led by Rivera-Serrano.

鈥淚n the laboratory, we will grow heart and immune cells to examine how viral infection changes the behavior and biochemical signals produced and received by these distinct cell types,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淲e will measure outcomes such as viral infection and replication, cell survival or death, and the production of antiviral and inflammatory signaling molecules鈥�.

These experiments will provide currently unavailable data that can be incorporated into the mathematical model and used to evaluate whether the model accurately reflects biological behavior. The process will also work in the other direction: if the model predicts that a particular cell type, signaling molecule or time point has an especially strong effect on inflammation, they can design experiments to test that prediction. Rather than treating the laboratory and mathematical components as separate projects, Ryu and Rivera-Serrano see them as a continuous feedback loop.

This research is important because the body needs a strong enough response to control the virus, but excessive or prolonged inflammation can weaken the heart, interfere with its electrical activity, and contribute to heart failure or other serious complications. Although many aspects of viral myocarditis have been studied, it remains difficult to understand how the different cardiac and immune cells communicate and how their interactions collectively shape disease progression over time.

鈥淏y combining mathematical modeling with laboratory experiments, we can gain insights into the immune response that neither approach could achieve independently,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淭his allows us to integrate existing knowledge, identify the most influential biological mechanisms, and determine which questions are the most important to investigate experimentally. Ultimately, our goal is to provide researchers with a better roadmap for understanding when inflammation is protective and when it begins to damage the heart. That knowledge could guide future studies aimed at developing safer and more effective treatments for viral myocarditis.鈥�

By the end of the project, Ryu and Rivera-Serrano hope to have developed and experimentally evaluated a mathematical framework that explains how viral replication, antiviral immunity, inflammatory signaling, and communication among heart and immune cells shape the progression of viral myocarditis.

Undergraduate research will be a central component to this project. Students from biology, mathematics, engineering and related STEM disciplines will be able to contribute according to their interests and expertise while also learning how researchers communicate and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.

Students may help review scientific literature, design the model, estimate biological parameters, write and analyze computer simulations, conduct cell biology and biochemical experiments, analyze experimental data and compare laboratory findings with model predictions. They will also gain experience communicating their work through research presentations, national conferences and scientific publications.

鈥淎 particularly valuable aspect of the project is that students will not be limited to one narrow role,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淎 biology student may learn how experimental observations are converted into equations, while a mathematics or engineering student may learn how assumptions in a model correspond to actual cellular processes. Learning to communicate across disciplines is one of the most valuable skills students can develop for today鈥檚 biomedical research, where many important problems require expertise from multiple fields.鈥�

鈥淚 wanted something that would challenge me even more,鈥� Keicher said. 鈥淪omething without the training wheels.鈥�

His manager responded by turning over a raw-material sourcing project that had originally been part of his own workload. Keicher researched potential suppliers, analyzed sourcing options and developed a strategy that he later presented to senior leaders in supply chain management and engineering.

The project became one of the most meaningful parts of his internship.

鈥淚 asked for another project because I wanted to push myself,鈥� Keicher said. 鈥淏eing trusted with that level of responsibility gave me the chance to work through the strategy independently and present my recommendation to company leaders.鈥�

The opportunity also connected Keicher with an interest that began years earlier. He took flight lessons throughout high school, developing an early passion for aviation and firsthand familiarity with the industry.

He soon realized, however, that 鈥渘o one likes a creative pilot who wants to test the conventions of flight mid-air.鈥�

Instead, Keicher found a place for that curiosity in aviation manufacturing.

鈥淚 love the aviation industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淣othing is cooler than being able to say you help build jets for a living.鈥�

Keicher, a supply chain management and data analytics major from Sycamore, Ill., worked with Honda Aircraft鈥檚 procurement team at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C.

His internship included production meetings, supplier visits and regular walks through the manufacturing floor. He learned more about sourcing strategy, the purchase-order life cycle and the role procurement plays in keeping aircraft production moving.

One of his first visits to the production floor gave him a closer look at Honda鈥檚 鈥済o to the spot鈥� philosophy. When a part had a quality issue, Keicher went directly to where it was being used and spoke with the technician working with it.

鈥淚 was able to understand what was wrong, why it was wrong and what information the supplier needed to fix the issue,鈥� Keicher said.

The experience helped him see how procurement decisions connect to the work happening on the production floor and how communication among technicians, buyers and suppliers can help resolve problems.

Throughout the summer, Keicher contributed to projects involving sourcing, workload analysis, process improvement and employee training.

He helped develop a Power BI dashboard for the procurement team, created tools intended to streamline internal approval processes and documented procedures for onboarding new suppliers. He also led training sessions for incoming associates.

Keicher took the initiative to propose several updates to the company鈥檚 internship program. His recommendations included resources to help interns set goals with mentors, transfer knowledge to future interns and provide more useful feedback at the end of the experience.

The range of assignments allowed him to work across data analysis, supplier relationships and internal operations while seeing how each area supports a larger manufacturing process.

His coursework at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business helped prepare him for projects that combined supply chain strategy with data analysis and communication.

In Introduction to Supply Chain Management with Coleman Rich, associate teaching professor of operations and supply chain management, Keicher learned tools including RACI matrices and critical path analysis. A course with Vinayaka Gude, assistant professor of business analytics, helped him strengthen his skills in data visualization, dashboard development and communicating findings clearly.

The internship confirmed Keicher鈥檚 interest in building a career in aerospace. It also reinforced the value of asking for the opportunities he wanted rather than waiting for them to appear.

鈥淵ou have to ask the question,鈥� Keicher said. 鈥淎sk for what you want the experience to be. That will define what you get to do.鈥�

Barker presented on “Empowering Students Through Statistics: Insights from a Social Justice Teaching Framework,” Bussberg gave a talk titled “From Data to Dialogue: Teaching Introductory Statistics Through Sustainability Applications,” and Doehler presented joint research with Barker on “Analyzing Data on United States Civil War Symbols to Stimulate Social Justice Discussions in an Introductory College Statistics Course.鈥�