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. Students 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 鈥�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, 鈥淕rowing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was my family鈥檚 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.鈥�

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 鈥渢he most honest intersection of everything [she鈥檚] been working towards:聽language, identity, education, and community.鈥�

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 Mu帽oz, assistant dean of students and director for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.

Anya Brati膰 鈥�26

Anya Brati膰, 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 Brati膰, Fulbright represents the intersection of her two greatest passions: global engagement and teaching. 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 teaching and facilitation, specifically the challenge of guiding others through the structured process of finding meaningful solutions to 鈥渨icked鈥� problems. Serving as an English teaching assistant will allow her to refine her intercultural and teaching skills while strengthening diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.

After Fulbright, Brati膰 is interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy or global social impact. 鈥淪imply put, I want to work at the intersection of people, policy and purpose,鈥� she says. Brati膰鈥檚 constellation of Elon mentors includes Amanda Tapler, associate teaching 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 鈥�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, teaching and service. As a researcher, Moylan worked with chemistry professor Dan Wright to study trace metals within medicinal herbs and spices. She refined her teaching 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鈥� 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鈥檚 most influential Elon mentor has been Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dan Wright. 鈥淒r. Dan Wright has been instrumental in my success at Elon,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hrough 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.鈥�

Madison Powers 鈥�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 undergraduate 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鈥檚 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 teaching 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鈥� 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 teaching 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 鈥�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 teaching assistant in South Korea is a natural extension of the work Vindas began at Elon. She completed a two-year undergraduate 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 teaching 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鈥� Elon mentors include Renay Aumiller, associate professor of dance; the 鈥渨onderful鈥� 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 鈥�26

Rebecca Lovasco, a psychology major with minors in women鈥檚, gender, and sexuality studies and neuroscience, has been selected as an alternate for a Fulbright study/research grant in Taiwan to earn a master鈥檚 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 Campus Alamance program.

Lovasco鈥檚 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,聽assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning聽and assistant professor of wellness.

Six rising juniors have been named members of the tenth class of Multifaith Scholars, a two-year fellows program for juniors and seniors that offers a closely mentored, experientially rich and intellectually rigorous educational opportunity for students with significant potential.

After a highly selective application and interview process, students are awarded $5,000 annually to support research and study in global contexts connected with religious diversity and multi-religious societies. Students who show great potential as academically curious and socially engaged leaders committed to their own ongoing development and the enhancement of their local and global communities are selected each spring.

鈥淚 am delighted to welcome these six impressive rising juniors into the Multifaith Scholars program and look forward to supporting their compelling projects over the next two years,鈥� said Amy Allocco, director of the Multifaith Scholars program. 鈥淭heir research interests include music and Christian religious experience, linguistic anthropology and the vocabulary of faith, religious diversity in clinical settings, gender and religious roles in Asian art, the intersection of biomedicine and traditional healing practices and the history of Black churches here in Alamance County.鈥�

In addition to pursuing their faculty-mentored undergraduate research projects and undertaking academic coursework in religious studies and interreligious studies, the scholars will extend the program鈥檚 ongoing community partnership with the Burlington Masjid. Through the partnership, scholars teach English classes, participate in youth and social events with the local Muslim community, join community garden workdays, volunteer with the food pantry and take part in potlucks and iftar meals during Ramadan.

鈥淚t is wonderful to welcome such a strong class with such diverse academic interests,鈥� reflected Brian Pennington, director of the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture, and Society, which supports the Multifaith Scholars program. 鈥淎s we approach the tenth anniversary of the MFS, it is gratifying to see so many clear signs of the program’s maturity and significance: our largest class ever, the inclusion of seven new faculty mentors, and students majoring in three disciplines never before represented in MFS.鈥�

The 2026-2028 Multifaith Scholars

Addison Anderson

Majors: History, Sociology

Minors: Museum Studies, Public History, and Interreligious Studies

Mentor:聽Amanda Kleintop (History and Geography)

Project Title: History and Memory of Alamance County鈥檚 Black Churches

Proposed Research: Examine the relationship between Alamance County African American churches and local politics in North Carolina from Reconstruction through 1900.

Blair Berenson

Major: Anthropology

Minors: Jewish Studies, Sociology, Philosophy and Interreligious Studies

Mentors:聽Amy Allocco (Religious Studies) and Devin Proctor (Sociology & Anthropology)

Project Title: An Anthropological Approach to Cross-Generational Shifts in Hindu and Jewish Perspectives of Faith in the US

Proposed Research: Conduct fieldwork in Jewish and Hindu communities in Atlanta to understand how different generations articulate the concept of faith.

Katie Castelo

Major: Biochemistry

Minors: Neuroscience, Spanish, and Interreligious Studies

Mentor:聽Cathy Quay (Nursing)

Project Title: Bridging Faith and Medicine: Improving Cultural Awareness of Religious Practices in the Healthcare System

Proposed Research: Explore the healthcare industry鈥檚 approach to death and ways it can be more open to diverse religious practices.

Faith Elliott

Major: Neuroscience

Minors: Expressive Arts and Interreligious Studies

Mentors:聽Lynn Huber (Religious Studies) and Morgan Patrick (Music Theory)

Project Title: Neurotheology: An Interdisciplinary Study into Sacred Music and Feelings of Well-Being

Proposed Research: Examine the historical significance of music and understand and measure the behavioral impact associated with an emotional, transcendent spiritual experience and the well-being that results from listening.

Mariama Jalloh

Major: Public Health

Minors: Biology and Interreligious Studies

Mentor:聽Sandra Darfour-Oduro (Public Health)

Project Title: Faith, Healers, and Health: How Religious Beliefs and Community Trust Shape Healthcare Decisions in West African Communities

Proposed Research: Examine how religious leaders and traditional healers influence healthcare decisions in communities in Ghana, and how public health programs can partner with these practitioners to improve health education outcomes.

Ryleigh Rouse

Majors: Art History, Religious Studies

Minors: Museum Studies and Public History and Asian Studies

Mentor:聽Kirstin Ringelberg (Art History)

Project Title: Religion鈥檚 Impact on Japanese Women: Through an Art Historical Lens

Proposed Research: Employ art as a lens to examine how religion shaped gender perceptions and Japanese women鈥檚 roles.

Rafting through the Grand Canyon two years ago, Braetan Peters 鈥�26 was taken by the beauty of the cliffs and valleys, but something else was also on her mind: her cell phone.

鈥淭he trip lasted eight days, and five days were actually water rafting throughout the canyon. So, we covered over 130 miles, and it was intense camping. And during that time, I did not have access to my cell phone, so I constantly felt the need to reach down and go 鈥極h, where’s my cell phone?鈥�”

So, when it came time to find a topic for her Elon College Fellows research, Peters decided to explore the addictive factor of cell phones and how peoples’ behavior changes after not having access to the devices for extended periods.

鈥淭hat experience in the Canyon really propelled this research forward,鈥� said Peters, who is from Annville, Pennsylvania.

Elon College Fellows is a four-year academic and professional program in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, for students who are passionately committed to exploring the breadth, depth and connections within the arts and sciences.

Right now, Peters is in the process of gathering survey data. Over the summer, she partnered with Hatch River Expeditions, a family-owned rafting company in Northern Arizona. The company sent out Peters鈥� information to its clients, asking if they鈥檇 like to participate. Once confirmed, Peters surveyed people before their rafting trip and then followed up after.

鈥淕rand Canyon is probably one of the last places left where your phone can鈥檛 constantly get internet. We hope we can help her get what she needs,鈥� said Steve Hatch, owner of Hatch River Expeditions. 鈥淣ot very many people in the world get access to the Grand Canyon the way we do. Whenever we can, we like to use that access to help people.鈥�

In addition to survey results from Grand Canyon rafters, Peters will also survey students on Winter Term study abroad trips to Tanzania and New Zealand, where their cell phone use will be minimal.

A biology major with a neuroscience minor, Peters is currently on a pre-med track, so she says, getting experience with this kind of research will be helpful for her future. Undergraduate research is one of the five Elon Experiences, along with study abroad, service, leadership, internships and research. Students are required to complete at least two of the experiences before they graduate. With undergraduate research, students pair up with a faculty member as their mentor. Mat Gendle, professor of psychology, is serving as Peters鈥� mentor.

鈥淚t’s been super helpful to have someone to guide me through this process since it’s my first time,鈥� said Peters, who has also been an Elon Women鈥檚 cross country and track and field student athlete for the past three years.聽 鈥淚 chose Mat Gendle because of his enthusiasm to work with me on this. This isn’t something that he has done previously, but he has knowledge in the neuroscience area.鈥�

Peters is working on a manuscript for the project and hopes to submit it for publication after graduating.

Academic Additions

Elon will launch two new majors this fall, including neuroscience, housed in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and digital content management through the School of Communications.

The neuroscience program will offer three options: a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Science with a specialization in exercise neuroscience. The digital content management program will help equip students with the creative, strategic and technical skills to lead content creation and strategy across digital platforms.

Campus Refresh

Several construction projects have been underway in summer 2025, including the completion and opening of Acorn Academy, a partnership with Vivvi to provide employer-sponsored child care. The child care facility is housed in the north wing of the psychology and human services studies building, which was originally used for Elon Children’s Home.

A new 485-space parking lot for first-year students is also under construction east of the Francis Center. Although the lot will not be completed in time for the start of the fall 2025 semester, it is anticipated to be finished in the 2025-26 academic year.

Other construction projects include renovations to Holland House,聽a 4,000-square-foot brick building that once served as the official residence of two Elon presidents. The building has been updated to accommodate an expanded golf clubhouse, featuring coaches鈥� offices, locker rooms, and a gathering space for athletes. Work is expected to be complete in fall 2025.

Work has also begun on the HealthEU Center, a 135,000-square-foot facility that will combine academics with recreation, health and wellness offerings along with support for the well-being of members of the university community. The building is expected to open in fall 2026.

The Homecoming concert returns!

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Student Union Board have collaborated to bring back the Homecoming concert! This year, on Friday, Oct. 10, Plain White T鈥檚 will perform at Rock the Block on Haggard Avenue and Young Commons.

The last Homecoming Concert was hosted three years ago by the Student Union Board in 2022, when Tai Verdes performed.

New Leadership

Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business

Haya Ajjan will begin her first full semester as dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Ajjan previously served as associate dean and professor of management information systems for the Love School of Business and began her new role on June 1, 2025, with an eye toward deepening experiential learning opportunities for students and strengthening partnerships with employers, industry leaders, and the broader community.

鈥湼＠侵薰� has nurtured my growth, transforming me from an acorn into a thriving oak,鈥� Ajjan said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited and grateful for the opportunity to give back to an institution that has given me so much by working under the leadership of President Book and Provost Kohn.鈥�

Brian Mathews, dean and university librarian

Brian Mathews began his leadership of the聽Carol Grotnes Belk Library聽on August 1, 2025, where he now manages a team of 22 full-time employees who have greeted more than a quarter million visitors over the past year in the heart of 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 main campus. With a record of achievement that spans two decades and five prominent national universities, Mathews brings to 福利亚洲国产精品 professional interests in the way people engage with information: in his words, their 鈥減ersonal knowledge management.”

鈥淚 look forward to helping shape a library that鈥檚 grounded, strategic, and future-facing 鈥� one that supports human-centered innovation, sparks imagination, and invites students, faculty, and staff to work together in exploring the complex social, political, technological, and informational challenges of our time,鈥� Mathews said. 鈥淚鈥檓 especially looking forward to working with the librarians and staff at Belk Library. They鈥檙e filled with ideas, generosity, and a joyful energy that鈥檚 contagious.鈥�

Whitney Gregory, dean of students

Previously the assistant dean of students at Elon, Whitney Gregory brings two decades of student affairs experience to her new Student Life leadership role, which began on June 1, 2025. As dean of students, Gregory will provide strategic leadership for student success and welfare initiatives, including supervising the directors of the Student Care and Outreach and Student Conduct departments, the assistant dean of student success and retention, and the assistant dean of students.

鈥淚 am honored and thrilled to step into this new role as dean of students at 福利亚洲国产精品, a community I鈥檝e been proud to call home,鈥� said Gregory. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to continue advancing the work I love 鈥� supporting student wellbeing and success 鈥� and am deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve as a leader and advocate for student interests and empowerment.鈥�

Heather Packo,聽associate vice president for the Student Professional Development Center

Heather Packo joined Elon in June 2025 as the new associate vice president of the Student Professional Development Center. She previously served as head of the聽Career Management Center at DePaul University鈥檚 Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

At Elon, Packo will lead a team of 22 full-time career professionals who comprise one of the nation鈥檚 best comprehensive career services programs, with a top-20 ranking by The Princeton Review and a #20 ranking for internships by U.S. News & World Report.

She will oversee the continued design and implementation of a comprehensive career services strategy through the聽Student Professional Development Center聽that enhances student employability, fosters employer relationships and integrates career readiness into the university experience.

鈥湼＠侵薰封�檚 commitment to cultivating a career ecosystem in support of both student and alumni career and professional development is both forward-thinking and impressive,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hroughout the recruitment process, this commitment was clearly articulated. In speaking with key stakeholders 鈥� from the SPDC team, campus partners, senior staff and academic deans, and the president 鈥� it was clear that everyone is ready to move the needle from good to great and work together to ensure Elon students are career ready at graduation.鈥�

The major will launch in fall 2025 and will聽build off the success of Elon鈥檚聽neuroscience minor,聽aligning with the聽Boldly Elon聽strategic plan commitment to STEM education.聽The new program will offer three options: a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Science with a specialization in exercise neuroscience.

鈥淭his is something that we think will set us apart from other neuroscience programs,鈥� Wittstein told the News & Record. 鈥淓xercise neuroscience isn鈥檛 a huge major across the country, but it鈥檚 definitely a space where we have a strong exercise science program where we think a lot about health and wellness.鈥�

More information about the new major will be available in summer 2025.

Each spring, graduate students in the human movement science curriculum at UNC-Chapel Hill organize a day-long conference highlighting emerging research across the interdisciplinary fields of kinesiology, exercise science, rehabilitation sciences and biomedical engineering.

Wittstein offered a deeply personal account of his academic and professional path, tracing聽his journey from his undergraduate days at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, through his pivot into human movement science, to work in industry and eventually the pursuit of a doctorate. Reflecting on more than a decade at Elon, he emphasized the balance he has found between research, mentorship and teaching. He also spoke candidly about challenges along the way, including periods of depression, the search for personal and professional identity and purpose, and how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped his engagement with professional societies and institutional service.

The conference also spotlighted original research by students and faculty. Jill Dolman ’25 and Srikant Vallabhajosula, professor of physical therapy education, presented their collaborative study, “Concurrent Validity of Wearable Sensors for Walking in Young Adults.” Their work supports the use of wearable technology to evaluate gait in real-world settings, with implications for pediatric assessment.

Another project, “Comparison of Peak Hip Joint Angles in Static and Dynamic Positions with Active Range of Motion in Bharatanatyam Dancers,” combined biomechanics and cultural dance analysis. The study was conducted by Doctor of Physical Therapy students Kaitlin Kerr-Osman, Avery McCamy, and Kayla Liles, in collaboration with faculty members Jack Magill and Vallabhajosula.

In a fitting full-circle moment, the conference also marked the ten-year anniversary of a formative connection. It was in spring 2013, at this event, that Wittstein and Vallabhajosula first met鈥攗naware that their paths would later converge as colleagues and collaborators in the field of human movement science.

The new program will include聽a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in neuroscience, building off the success of Elon鈥檚聽neuroscience minor聽and aligning with the聽Boldly Elon聽strategic plan commitment to STEM education.

In the interview, Wittstein emphasized how the new program fits in with Elon’s identity as a liberal arts institution.

鈥淪tudents have to take courses in science and civilization and society and in [human] expression. They have to get some advanced studies. They have to take a global perspectives first-year seminar and a core capstone, which is the one I coordinate,” Wittstein said. 鈥淭hose courses are really meant to anchor Elon’s education with the strength of a liberal arts program where [students] are getting breadth and depth, they鈥檙e developing skills that are more around critical thinking and problem solving and communicating to lots of different audiences with different backgrounds and being able to inquire deeply about general questions or specific questions.”

More information about the new program will be available in summer 2025.

The new degree program, housed in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, is built on the concept of 鈥渋nterdisciplinary agility,鈥� allowing students to learn, understand and adapt to new information using knowledge and skills from diverse areas. The program embraces the field鈥檚 diversity, combines hands-on lab and lecture experiences to develop core knowledge and technical expertise and emphasizes professional skills to prepare students for successful careers and leadership in the sciences.

鈥淣euroscience 聽is everything. It鈥檚 the way you think. It鈥檚 the decisions you make. It鈥檚 the way you feel. What makes neuroscience unique is that it requires interdisciplinary thinking, and often, collaboration, is truly interdisciplinary聽,鈥� said Matt Wittstein, coordinator of the neuroscience minor and associate professor of exercise science. 鈥淵ou are taking elements of biology and psychology to understand how neurons and groups of neurons work together to result in behavior.鈥�

The Bachelor of Arts in neuroscience will require 48 semester hours and allow students to explore neuroscience beyond STEM approaches. Students who earn this degree will be prepared to enter fields such as medical sales, scientific writing and regulatory affairs.

The Bachelor of Science in neuroscience will require 64 semester hours and includes the option to specialize in exercise neuroscience. Students who complete this degree will be prepared for medical school, health professionals or graduate schools.

Both options give students the ability to pursue a dual degree, major, or minor in a related or different subject that can deepen their understanding of neuroscience.

In 2009, Elon started a neuroscience minor which has continued to sustain interest, with a desire for a major building over time. Since 2020-21, an effort to develop a major has been underway.

鈥淥ver the years, the minor has done an outstanding job of providing students mentored research experiences and meaningful coursework,鈥� said Wittstein. 鈥淲ith the addition of the major, those opportunities will grow, both deepening experiential learning and extending to more students. The addition of the new major will also enhance the existing minor by adding more elective options and shared learning experiences.鈥�

In addition to biochemical foundations courses like Human Physiology, students will also take neuroscience methods courses (Statistics in Application and Research Methods),聽 disciplinary neuroscience courses (Behavioral Neuroscience and Neuromotor Control) and neuroscience integration courses, which will include a Neuroscience Capstone Seminar. Additional semester hours of electives will also be required, allowing students to align their coursework with personal goals.

The Neuroscience Advisory Committee, with representatives from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Exercise Science, Mathematics and Statistics, and Psychology worked together on the program, keeping in mind input from a wide array of disciplines. Wittstein said he envisions the program growing to the size of some of the largest majors in Elon College.

鈥淎ll of the equipment that we use, all the spaces that we use, we鈥檙e borrowing from our existing departments. As we grow, there鈥檚 going to be a need for innovative spaces and new equipment to be able to teach neuroscience and engage students in research experiences,鈥� Wittstein said. 鈥淲e put a lot of thought into not thinking about this as purely a pre-med or pre-graduate science track but how does this really allow students to explore neuroscience and apply it to the questions that interest them the most?鈥�

More information on the new program will be available in the summer of 2025.

Her research uses eye-tracking technology to look at memory differences among people who have varying degrees of autistic traits. Feintuch helped coach a special education gymnastics team during her time in high school and when she arrived at Elon, she knew she wanted to pursue a research project that combined her personal passions with her academic ones.

鈥淚 just became interested in how learning differs for everyone, and as a biology major, I was interested in the science of why and how this was happening,鈥� she said.

Feintuch is majoring in biology with a concentration in molecular biology and a minor in neuroscience. Her project is titled 鈥淓valuating the Self-Reference Effect as an Encoding Strategy for Individuals Displaying Autistic Traits: An Eye-Tracking Study.鈥� Feintuch is mentored by Amy Overman, assistant provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity and professor of psychology. The pair have spent the last two years designing a behavioral experiment in the form of a memory exercise. They also focused on recruiting participants and administering the experiment on a computer with eye-tracking software below the test.

Feintuch has been able to pursue this in-depth research with Overman as her mentor through Elon鈥檚 Lumen Prize program.聽The Lumen Prize聽is Elon鈥檚 most prestigious award for undergraduate research and awards scholars a $20,000 scholarship to support a chosen research project and allows the scholar to work closely with a faculty mentor on that project for two years. Each year, 15 rising juniors are named Lumen Scholars and conduct research that often produces conference presentations and publications.

Feintuch knew that applying for the Lumen Prize would allow her to have access to the resources necessary to complete her research at the highest level possible. 鈥淚 wanted to maximize the opportunities that I could have at Elon,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wanted to be the best version of myself and really go after what I wanted to do in life.鈥�

Under the guidance of Overman, Feintuch has been able to meet other academics in her field, become a stronger and more critical writer, and think deeper both in and outside of the lab.

鈥淟indy is intelligent and consistently exceeds goals that she sets for herself or we set together,鈥� Overman said. 鈥淗owever, the qualities that truly make her stand out are her willingness to work to understand the perspectives of others, especially the people who participated in her research and the broader autistic community, and her willingness to lean into being a leader on her project and beyond.鈥�

Feintuch and Overman have presented their findings at conferences such as the Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Feintuch hopes to continue her education after graduating from Elon in the spring to eventually pursue a career in genetic counseling, specializing in assisting individuals with neuro-developmental disorders.

鈥淢aking connections with so many people and really building on connecting with professors and professionals in all different positions has allowed me to approach my post-Elon experience with a lot of open-mindedness,鈥� Feintuch said. 鈥淚 can be really successful in a lot of different fields because I鈥檝e been able to engage in lots of different activities during my time here.鈥�

The Class of 2023 graduate already thought that studying abroad would be difficult for him to tie into his studies, but he found a winter term trip to Panama that was a perfect fit.

Majoring in biology with a minor in neuroscience, he wanted something that would expand his hands-on research skills. The trip鈥檚 purpose was to record data at night, on and around an island in the middle of the Panama Canal, for a Smithsonian study of bats and their positioning on plants while locating insects.

When he arrived on the island 鈥� which was smaller than Elon’s campus 鈥� his main mode of transportation was by boat. This led to Murphy spending a lot of time on the water and also having the opportunity to record data on coral reefs for a module in the Caribbean Sea.聽In Panama, nature was his classroom and learning was hands-on, exactly what he was hoping to receive from his time abroad.

“I remember being in a small boat with my program, with the waves ranging from six to eight feet. The boat was jam-packed with all of our snorkeling gear,” Murphy said. “But also with our research equipment consisting of mallets, PVC pipe and waterproof paper, there was this moment where we all started singing sea shanties, including our professor as we rose up and down in the ocean, reassuring us that everything would be fine once we got to our destination.”

Murphy described getting into the ocean as an “out-of-body experience.”聽He said he felt like he was dreaming as the sun beamed down through the bluest parts of the water with fish swimming around him as he wrote his observations on his waterproof paper.聽Just the thought of having written underwater made him laugh.

When asked about his favorite experience, he said that writing underwater was the most memorable, but that it was impossible to choose a favorite because there were so many experiences packed into such a short period of time.

As the recipient of the Marvin and Eva Burke Clapp Odyssey Scholarship, Murphy’s time at Elon was made possible through the generosity of the Clapp family, who made a generous gift to Elon to endow the scholarship. He says being a part of the Odyssey Scholar program will forever be ingrained into his identity, just like his nickname “Murph.”

When first touring Elon with a friend, he said he wondered why everyone was so happy. He saw people laughing and high-fiving as they walked down North Williamson Avenue. But now, he looks back on that moment and thanks the Odyssey Program for giving him the opportunity to truly understand why Elon is such a special place.

Scholarships and donor generosity gave Murphy the opportunity to attend Elon, but it also allowed him to gain valuable experience, covering the costs of his tuition so that study abroad became a reality.

Following his trip, Murphy returned to Elon ready to explore a new interest that was developed abroad 鈥� conservation. He also continues his passion for research at a veterinarian’s office in Greensboro where he uses lab equipment and even conducts surgeries to research heart worms, a chronic problem for domesticated animals. During his time at Elon, Murphy was also able to work as a teaching assistant for biodiversity and aquatic biology. He loves how the newly built Innovation Quad聽and its state-of-the-art equipment and technology has evolved STEM programs on campus, helping students follow the constant changes of the science world.

Beyond Panama, Murphy鈥檚 scholarship funding also took him and his cohort to Boston for a networking event where many of the scholars received job offers. He has found that the close-knit community of the Odyssey Program helped him take advantage of the opportunities given to him. He is so grateful for the donors that made his experience along with so many others possible.

鈥淒onations to Elon help people like me have the opportunity to travel and to meet people through these experiences who are going to be in our lives forever. These are the people who are going to survive through thick and thin with you. I am so grateful, and without the aid I received, it wouldn鈥檛 be possible to have the friends I have and to have accomplished all that I have here at Elon,” said Murphy.

Murphy is also grateful to his mentor Associate Professor of Biology Antonio Izzo for believing in him and helping him get his graduation plan back on track following the pandemic so that he would complete all of his requirements on time.

Post-grad, Murphy is taking a gap year to work in the research field before medical school, and he wants to get recertified as an EMT. One piece of advice he’d like to give current Elon students is to take chances.

鈥淭his is supposed to be the best four years of your life so don鈥檛 mess it up by sitting around and not trying new opportunities while you are here.鈥�