Students across two courses (ENS 1100: Humans and Nature (Spring 2025)聽and WHE 2850: Perspectives in Personal and Global Health聽(Spring 2025)) completed eight outdoor sit spots over the course of a month as part of a course assignment. Students were asked to spend time in an outdoor space on campus, and quietly observe their surroundings, noting a range of sensory experiences, and reflect on the changes in that space over time. Using a pre- and post-test model, they found statistically significant improvements in mindfulness, positive affect, and nature connectedness in students across the two courses.

The newly published article, “,” is authored by Elon faculty, Kelsey Bitting and Jill McSweeney, Elon alum Elyssa Kaufman 鈥�25 (Environmental Sciences), and graduating senior, Kira Campagna 鈥�26, an elementary education major, with a minor in environmental education). The work builds on growing research connecting nature exposure and contemplative practices with improved student wellness and academic outcomes.

Student researchers, Kaufman and Campagna, played a central role throughout the project and have at several undergraduate research and pedagogical conferences. Their project work specifically examined how outdoor mindfulness practices influenced mood, mindful awareness, and students鈥� relationship with nature. Their presentations highlighted significant increases in positive affect, nature connectedness and mindfulness among students who completed the sit spot assignment.

In collaboration with Evan Small, additional research this past academic year recruited over 80 students across four courses (i.e., ENS 1100: Humans and Nature (Fall 2025), WHE 1150: Stress and Wellness (Fall 2025), HEU 1719: Foraging and Wild Foods (Fall 2025), and COR 3555: Foraging Wild Food and Medicine (Spring 鈥�26)). Using data from these four courses, graduating senior, Abigail Manning (Environmental Sciences) recently explored how sit spots affect students鈥� mindfulness and nature connectivity across different majors and disciplines. Her research found that students in nature-focused majors often experienced even stronger gains in mindfulness and nature connectedness through the sit spot practice.

The research team plans to continue building on these findings over the summer. Kiley Sherlock 鈥�27, an environmental sciences major, will conduct qualitative analysis on student reflections for her Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, exploring how students define nature and further exploring how the sit spot practice impacts student stress across the semester. The team also plans on additional publications exploring the impact of student demographics, and focus on a practice-oriented piece on how to support colleagues to bring contemplative pedagogies which incorporate nature into their classrooms to support the wellbeing of students and themselves.

Together, the project reflects 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 commitment to engaged learning and undergraduate research, while also contributing meaningful scholarship to conversations around student wellness, mindfulness, and environmental connection.

Cortes has always been community and family-oriented, so when the opportunity to commute only two minutes to a beautiful college campus while still living at home with her family arose, she took advantage.

During her college application process, she聽expressed聽feeling discouraged when hearing back from schools.

鈥淚t seemed like I was either getting accepted, but with no scholarship, or being denied,” she said.

Upon her first聽early action聽application to Elon, she was deferred. However, her determination to be a part of the community drove her to try again. As she is dedicated and persistent in nature, she聽submitted聽another聽application聽a聽couple of months聽later, this time getting the Califf Endowed Scholarship in recognition of her hard work.

鈥淲hen I tried again at Elon, I saw that someone believed in me, and this was the path I was supposed to take; it was meant to be,鈥澛爏aid Cortes.

She聽notes聽the transition from her high school, Walter M. Williams, to Elon was a shock. In high school, she was considered advanced, but the academic rigor of 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 biology courses caught her by surprise.

鈥淚t was definitely a change, but we have so many resources at Elon to guide me through a successful path,” she said.

For Cortes, her passions have always been focused on biology and entering a pre-med track.

鈥淚t鈥檚聽always been聽plan聽A for me. I聽haven鈥檛聽thought about doing anything else.聽I鈥檝e聽always been so headstrong about what聽I鈥檝e聽wanted to become. Since I聽could聽remember,聽I鈥檝e聽always wanted to be a doctor,鈥� she聽said.

Cortes is聽excelling聽in聽the pre-med track,聽with聽plans to pursue a dermatology path through medical school. Growing up in Alamance and having such a strong connection with her roots,聽she聽wants to come back to her county to serve as a dermatologist for the people of Alamance.

鈥淚鈥檝e always loved this county, and dermatologists are running very slim here,鈥� she聽added.

Several members of her family have struggled with skin conditions like melanoma, drawing her to the dermatology field.

鈥淚鈥檝e spent a lot of time at the dermatology office myself, and I want to give back to the community and hopefully provide dermatology care聽here聽someday,” said Cortes.

Already gaining hands-on experience in her聽career聽path, Cortes has over 400 volunteer hours with聽Alamance鈥檚 Hospice program. Her extensive work聽has聽developed聽her experience in the medical field聽through聽patient interactions聽and聽working聽alongside聽nurses in an emotionally tough environment,聽all while making sure the patients are well聽cared for.

鈥淯nfortunately, there have been a lot of patients that聽I鈥檝e聽gained connections with that have passed,” explained Cortes. “It鈥檚聽been聽really hard聽to cope with that, but聽it’s聽a part of life and something I聽have to聽consider when聽being a doctor.鈥�

Grateful for her experience in volunteering, Cortes聽also聽completed a summer internship program with聽Alamance聽Eye Center. Furthering her experience in the medical field,

鈥淭hrough my internship, I gained new friendships, met new doctors聽through shadowing, was able to have patient interactions聽and was聽able to take part in the work of taking pictures of patients鈥� eyes,” she said.

Cortes recently took a moment to reflect on her experience at Elon.聽Under the warmth of the sun, leaning back in one of the white聽Adirondack聽chairs in Young Commons, without聽her phone or music, she took a moment to think.

鈥淚 just wanted to sit and enjoy the sunshine. In that moment, I was thinking, ‘I鈥檓聽at Elon, in this amazing place.聽I鈥檓聽a part of this聽community,聽this is where I belong and where聽I鈥檓聽supposed to be, I鈥檓聽doing it,'” she said. “I was once stressed about聽if聽it was going to work out, but聽I鈥檓聽really聽doing it.鈥�

Reflecting on her donors, Cortes said, 鈥淚聽have to聽remember, during聽hard times, that I must keep going because I have an opportunity to pursue my dreams. I think about my scholarship all the time, and how I have people in my corner supporting me, without even knowing me.鈥�

Her Califf Endowed Scholarship has allowed her to pursue her dreams to the fullest on 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 campus.

鈥淢y scholarship has been truly impactful on my life path, and聽it鈥檚聽made me want to give back to Elon,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to give back to Elon for everything聽they鈥檝e聽done for me. Hopefully, one day I can support someone like me who聽couldn鈥檛聽financially pursue their dreams without a scholarship.鈥�

鈥淭he ACC gave me work that actually mattered; projects you could see reflected in real events,鈥� he said.

Relationships are what drew Gandhi to Elon.

鈥淚 wanted a smaller school because building relationships with professors is the most important thing you can do,鈥� he said.

Those connections, from weekly check-ins with Associate Professor of Journalism Alex Luchsinger to mentorship from Assistant Professor of Sport Management Khirey Walker, have shaped his path in and out of the classroom.

鈥淚f you make an effort at Elon, your professors make that effort back,” said Gandhi.

Support from philanthropy helped unlock the Charlotte opportunity. Through the Queen City Internship Grant, Gandhi could focus fully on learning, not logistics.

鈥淭he grant gave me peace of mind,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t meant I could focus on the experience, my internship, schoolwork and my business, instead of worrying about day-to-day expenses.鈥�

In an earlier feature reflecting on the fall cohort, he added that the ACC helped him strengthen 鈥渢ime management,鈥� learn new tools, adapt on the fly, and most of all, learn 鈥渉ow to be a professional (…) in emails, meetings, and as a teammate.鈥�

The Elon in Charlotte program places students in the center of one of the country鈥檚 most active sports markets, and the Queen City Internship Grant removes barriers to participating, prioritizing unpaid roles and first credit-bearing internships, with typical awards ranging from $1,000鈥�$5,000.

Entrepreneurship is the other half of Gandhi鈥檚 education. As owner of SAG Autographs, he鈥檚 built relationships with athletes and agents while managing high-value inventory and transactions. He鈥檚 learned to stay adaptable; if an injury, trade or headline changes the game overnight, he pivots. Balancing the business with classes and an internship has sharpened his scheduling and discipline, skills he knows will matter beyond campus. Faculty see the same drive.

鈥淪haan is a serious student who had the fire in his belly before he started at Elon,鈥� said Luchsinger. 鈥淗is prior business experience positioned him well to be a leader in the classroom. He鈥檚 a successful entrepreneur in the sports sector and has gotten plugged into complementary sectors within sports. I could see him doing just about anything he wants, from solo entrepreneur to an 鈥榠ntrapreneur鈥� innovating within a larger company.鈥�

For Gandhi, that mentorship has been pivotal.

鈥淭here are different ways to be mentored,鈥� he said. 鈥淒r. Luchsinger and Dr. Walker have helped me think through decisions for my business and my internship. 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 professors really know their students. They care.鈥�

He also carries one piece of advice forward from Luchsinger.

鈥淒r. Luchsinger told me you should never close any doors, even ones you didn鈥檛 expect to open,鈥� Gandhi said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know I鈥檇 love what I was doing at the ACC but keeping that door open led to more opportunities.鈥�

From Sports Illustrated interviews to game-day operations, Gandhi鈥檚 story is about turning access into impact and about the donors who make that access possible.

鈥淧hilanthropy let me say yes to an experience that changed how I work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for that support, and I hope to pay it forward.鈥�

The recognition underscores 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 strengths in accessibility, affordability, return on investment, better-than-expected student outcomes, high levels of engagement, strong job prospects and overall value.

鈥淲ithin higher education circles, 福利亚洲国产精品 is known as a school that other midsized private universities want to learn from,鈥� wrote Selingo, who has written about colleges and universities for more than two-and-a-half decades.

鈥淒ream School鈥� is a follow-up to Selingo鈥檚 2020 book 鈥淲ho Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions,鈥� and focuses on helping families redefine their idea of a 鈥済ood鈥� college, setting aside preconceived ideas about 鈥減restige.鈥� To put together the list, Selingo partnered with several external experts and organizations to examine datasets from 2023 and 2024. The pool of consideration was narrowed down to four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates.

鈥淔or the Dream Schools list, I wanted to find institutions that outperform expectations while admitting the vast majority of good students who aren鈥檛 predestined for the Yales, Williamses, Northwesterns and UC Berekleys,鈥� said Selingo.

For four consecutive years, Elon has been named the nation鈥檚 best university for undergraduate teaching by U.S. News and World Report and has continued to invest in both the humanities and STEM programs, launching new degrees in neuroscience, nursing and digital content management. A new physician assistant studies program is set to launch in 2027 at the university鈥檚 Charlotte national campus location.

One outcome of 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 teaching excellence is that the university聽has produced nine Goldwater Scholars 鈥� the most recent, engineering major Jacob Karty 鈥�26, in 2025. The award is given by The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation and provides scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

In his book, Selingo highlights 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 commitment to mentorship, the , and the university being one of the top producers of Fulbright Scholars.

鈥淎ll of my mentors at Elon have challenged me in ways that have helped me grow into the person I am today,鈥� said Cristy Marin茅 鈥�25, a Fulbright Scholar, following the announcement of her selection for the award. 鈥淔or that, I am forever grateful.鈥�

With a 77% graduation rate, Elon is in the 鈥淗idden Values鈥� section of Selingo鈥檚 list, 鈥渃omprised of mostly private colleges with strong graduation outcomes and opportunities for fulfilling careers.鈥� Before graduation, all Elon students are required to complete at least two of the Elon Experiences: Global Engagement, Service, Leadership, Internships and Undergraduate Research.

鈥淓lon operates a cooperative-education program that integrates work into the undergraduate curriculum, and as a result, some nine out of ten graduates complete at least one internship during their undergraduate career,鈥� wrote Selingo.

Selingo also highlights the connection between 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 residential living and academics, including the university鈥檚 residence hall neighborhoods that include faculty members in residence, along with more than a dozen Living Learning Communities, where groups of students live in the same residential area, interacting academically and socially with each other and with faculty, and sharing the same passion, interest, or academic focus.

鈥淢y hope in writing this book is that students, parents, and counselors might begin to think differently about the college search process so that teenagers ultimately find a school that will help them truly flourish,鈥� Selingo said in an email to 福利亚洲国产精品 President Connie Ledoux Book about the new publication. 鈥淚n the end, I want to give families, and parents in particular, permission to widen the lens on the college search.鈥�

鈥淒ream School鈥� is at major booksellers through Simon and Schuster.

鈥淚 would say it’s bittersweet, but it’s more bitter than sweet,鈥� said Marin茅 about graduating. 鈥淚 have gotten so much support and guidance from the people that I’ve met here at Elon, whether they stayed in my life for a long time, or they haven’t, they have impacted my journey here so much that I just feel so incredibly grateful to spend my past four years here.鈥�

The study abroad opportunities and cinema & television arts program drew Marin茅 to Elon, specifically the program鈥檚 push for students to participate in the Elon in Los Angeles program, and the incorporation of internships. Internships are one of the five Elon Experiences and students must complete at least two to graduate.

Into the internships

Marin茅, who is also majoring in strategic communications, dove right into the Elon Experiences during the summer after her freshman year, working on content production for Great HealthWorks in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The following spring, she chose to study abroad in Sorrento, Italy, taking courses like volcanology, drawing on location and European literature. While in Italy, she interned with a photography studio, focusing on social media, wedding photography and film development.

鈥淚t was challenging because they only spoke Italian. So thankfully with my Spanish and their Italian, we were able to communicate pretty well, but it was really great,鈥� said Marin茅. 鈥淚t was a family-owned business, so I would have dinner with my bosses and their families, and it was so nice because I was developing my Italian skills while they were developing their Spanish skills.鈥�

She returned to the U.S. that summer and headed straight to Miami, Florida, for another internship with NBC6/Telemundo, creating short and long-form video in both English and Spanish.

鈥淢y internship with NBC6 and Telemundo 51 was absolutely pivotal for my career development,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t taught me so much about how to work in a fast-paced environment, how to identify trending news, how to be the first ones to cover something, but also considering quality over quantity and making sure that the work we’re doing is correct. It was definitely the most challenging internship I had, but it was incredible.鈥�

Her NBC6/Telemundo internship paved the way for her next opportunity with E! News in spring 2024 through the Elon in LA program.

鈥淚t was a wonderful experience because I was doing an internship in the heart of the entertainment industry within entertainment news,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 got to go to award shows and I was meeting celebrities and expanding my digital content skills, which was awesome.鈥�

After E! News, Marin茅 went to the other coast for a summer internship at law firm Proskauer Rose in New York City, handling digital content. Now, she鈥檚 on contract with E! News again, working for the entertainment company on the weekends.

鈥淲orking at E! News was just an absolute dream that I did not expect,鈥� said Marin茅. 鈥淢y managers were so supportive. It was also so cool because the office is in Universal City in LA. So, the theme park is two steps away and then you also have all the studio lots.鈥�

In 2023 and 2024, Marin茅 was named a LAGRANT Foundation Scholar聽and, in fall 2024, she participated in the prestigious IRTS Foundational Multicultural Career workshop, an initiative designed to support students and recent graduates from underrepresented backgrounds pursue careers in the media industry.

Finding her roots

Despite her numerous internships, Marin茅 still found time for other campus involvement and scholarship. She is a finalist for a Fulbright UK Study Grant and is a student communication coordinator at El Centro. She credits Syliva Mu帽oz, the assistant dean of students and director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE), along with MJ Larrazabel Chacon, assistant director of CREDE, with helping her along the way.

鈥淭hey feel like family at this point, because they鈥檙e like my mom and my sister away from home,鈥� said Marin茅. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really nice to have their support and to have them be so understanding of everything and to just give me a space where I really struggled finding my culture at Elon my first semester and connecting with MJ and Sylvia, and the CREDE and El Centro really helped me find my roots again.鈥�

Marin茅, who was born in Venezuela, incorporates her culture into her film work. During her third year, she created a film that, she says, represents Latinx/Hispanic culture in an authentic way, telling the story of a girl navigating grief after losing her grandmother.

鈥淚 lost my grandmother a couple of months before and I wanted to create a story where I could represent our culture and also just amplify voices that aren’t often heard,鈥� said Marin茅. 鈥淚 feel like in the media nowadays we see a lot of representation, but a lot of it is performative or it causes more damage than good. It made me realize that in the future I want to continue telling stories that uplift unheard voices and create representation in the media that adds a positive impact that doesn’t create stereotypes.鈥�

I just feel so incredibly grateful to spend my past four years here.

Cristy Marin茅 鈥�25

Her Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis film, 鈥淭he Fantastic Adventure of Felix Fisher,鈥� tells the story of a 10-year-old boy who tries to one up his arch-nemesis Serena during a show-and-tell presentation, telling a story about his 鈥渕agnificent鈥� journey to the aquarium.

鈥淚t explores the themes of imagination, curiosity and grief,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great story in the sense that I see myself relate to it a lot because, as a child, I was super curious and I always wanted to do these聽 things like travel, and that鈥檚 how we see Felix as well.鈥�

And as Marin茅 prepares for commencement on May 23, she鈥檚 looking back at how Elon helped her explore that curiosity.

鈥淭here are so many communities at Elon,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here’s something for everyone here, and that’s something that in my first semester, I wasn’t sure if I would find a space for myself,鈥� she said.鈥� But then, when I went to the org fair and I got involved with El Centro, Cinelon Productions and , I found my people and I found my place.鈥�

鈥淭he aspects of Dr. Ritchie鈥檚 proposed work align seamlessly with several things we already have in motion here at 福利亚洲国产精品. But at Elon, we have a culture of never being satisfied; we know that we can always do better, and that we constantly need to strive for better,鈥� said Joel Karty, Sydney F & Kathleen E Jackson professor of chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry. 鈥淒r. Ritchie鈥檚 proposed work promises to help us make strides in some challenging areas.鈥�

Solving 鈥榳icked problems鈥�

Karty notes that science literacy is important for all students and reaching more non-science majors is a goal for the department. While Ritchie will teach through the Department of Chemistry, his educational background is in history and the history of science. 聽He focuses on how to make STEM education more inclusive and interdisciplinary, connecting science to the real world and solving what he calls 鈥渨icked problems.鈥� One of Richie鈥檚 courses at Warwick, 鈥淏eyond Science,鈥� has students work on projects related to the UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals, collaborating with mentors across disciplines.

鈥淎 chemistry degree shouldn’t just be about what you do in the lab,鈥� said Ritchie. 鈥淚t should be about developing your understanding of challenges we face today, like climate change or inequality, that can’t just be solved by science alone, but that science will have a key role in. I think with those wicked problems, you have to bring ideas from other disciplines as well.鈥�

The Fulbright 福利亚洲国产精品 Award, through the Fulbright Commission, allows academics and professionals to teach and pursue independent research in any subject area offered by the university.

Ritchie first heard of Elon through Sarah Dyer with the University of Exeter, who participated in 贰濒辞苍鈥檚 2018-2020 research seminar on Capstone Experiences through the Center of Engaged Learning.

鈥淚t was inspirational when you saw her passion when she was talking about Elon. When it came to applying and looking through the different awards, Elon jumped out and very quickly I said 聽鈥楾hat’s the only choice,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淓lon stood out to me because of its commitment to inclusive excellence and the focus on student-centered learning innovation and teaching. It feels like a place I could go and share what I do and grow what I do and learn more.鈥�

Ethical AI

As universities, including Elon, integrate AI into their policies and processes 鈥� Ritchie focuses on how to teach students to understand and ethically use the technology. At Warwick, Ritchie and a colleague created 鈥淭he AI Revolution,鈥� an interdisciplinary course focused on AI ethics and AI literacy.

鈥淲e want to talk about AI from a philosophical point of view and a historical point of view,鈥� Ritchie said. 鈥淗ow is this a technology that compares to previous technology panics that we’ve seen? And all of these sorts of questions that get students to try to think about AI as more than just a specific tool.鈥�

In addition to his teaching role at Warwick, Ritchie is also director of student experience and emphasizes the importance of belonging and mattering at universities. He developed 鈥淲e Are Chemistry,鈥� a co-created inclusive education program that, Ritchie says, has led to a 45% reduction in students leaving the department and a 12% rise in first-year student academic success.

鈥淚’d like to think that students leave my courses feeling a bit more like they belong,鈥� said Ritchie. 鈥淏elonging is a really hard aspect of university life, but it’s a really important one. There’s so many studies that show the link between belonging and success. I’d like to think聽 students leave my classes feeling like their voices mattered, that their ideas have had power, and that I’ve tried to be responsive in how I teach.鈥�

Ritchie will begin teaching in Winter Term 2026. Because Ritchie’s background is in history, he will not be teaching chemistry courses. Some of the courses Ritchie could potentially develop at Elon include:

• Innovation Ecosystems: From Local to Global
• AI Revolution: Navigating a World with Artificial Minds
• Science Across Divides: The Art of Communicating Complex Ideas
• Disruptive Futures: Navigating Radical Change
• Serious Play: Innovation Through Experimentation and Joy
• Design Thinking for Social Impact

Changing the narrative

SURE is about more than just researching a topic 鈥� the students are exploring personal questions and interests that can spark wide-ranging, impactful conversations.

鈥淚 want to change the narrative,鈥� said Fiona Hodge 鈥�26, whose research focuses on the intersectionality of queer college student identity.

Hodge, a psychology major and vice president of the Undergraduate Research Student Association (URSA) identifies as a member of the LBGTQ community and noticed a gap in the research around queer people.

鈥淭he previous research focused on discrimination and talking about queer people, but not focusing on their own perspectives,鈥� said Hodge. 鈥淪o, I want to provide research that鈥檚 by queer researchers for queer people.鈥�

SURE provides an opportunity for students to work with faculty and gain meaningful research experience over the summer, without the pressure of other courses during a typical semester. Students apply for the opportunity, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year.

鈥淯ndergraduate research has been shown to have a lot of great benefits for students and faculty, thinking about developing critical thinking and communication skills, which is evident at the SURE presentations,鈥� said Eric Hall, director of undergraduate research and interim assistant provost for scholarship and creative activity. 鈥淧resenting at conferences is the way we show our research findings, and this shows students what it would be like if they go to a regional or national conference.鈥�

Hodge first started doing research this year and says the experience has gone well, especially with the help of her mentor Adam Kim, assistant professor of psychology.

鈥淭his is my first-time presenting research. I鈥檓 excited. It feels really cool to see your research come to life,鈥� Hodge said. 鈥淢y mentor pushes me to work harder and be more creative, to think outside of the box and not just come up with an okay question but with an interesting question.鈥�

Queerness in the classroom

The child of two educators, a future teacher and a queer-identifying student, Lindsey Hefty 鈥�25 also turned to her LGBTQ+ identity for research.

鈥淚 wanted to combine my major of elementary education with my minor in women鈥檚, gender and sexualities studies with all the discourse surrounding queerness in schools. There鈥檚 been a lot of negativity,鈥� said Hefty, who is also an Elon Teaching Fellow. 鈥淭here is a lot of legislation that鈥檚 making it impossible for queer identifies to exist in educational spaces.鈥�

The debate over LGBTQ+ issues in public schools has been a hot-button political issue in the last several years. In 2023, North Carolina passed the聽 鈥淧arents Bill of Rights,鈥� which requires teachers to notify parents if a student questions their gender or uses different pronouns.

In collaboration with her mentor, Associate Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English Kevin Bourque, Hefty interviewed LGBTQ+ educators and fielded survey responses from across North Carolina.

鈥淲e are looking for less obvious ways that queerness is happening in the classroom, less safe space posters and more covert incorporations of identity, and that鈥檚 a lot of what we鈥檝e found,鈥� said Hefty. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also been really inspiring to talk to other queer educators about their experiences and stories.鈥�

Hefty said she and Bourque fit together well 鈥� both being queer-identifying and interested in further exploring queer studies.

鈥淟indsey has been a pleasure to work with: thoughtful, perceptive, creative, good-natured, smart and funny. I love how her research ties not only to her professional goals, but also her outlook on the world,鈥� Bourque said.

Using research to help

Research was one of the main reasons Natalie Peeples 鈥�26 and Archie Tan 鈥�25 chose to attend Elon with undergraduate research being one of the Five Elon Experiences. Two of those experiences are needed for the Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) to graduate. Students earn two ELRs for their participation in SURE.

Both Peeples and Tan are Lumen Scholars 聽with their SURE research being an extension of that work as well. Tan, the president of URSA, is a computer science major researching using artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer.

鈥淩ight now, technology is growing super-fast, even for the people in the field, it鈥檚 really hard to catch up,鈥� said Tan, who is also a first-generation college student. 鈥淚 want to help people utilize advanced technology in their daily life. I want to use the technology to help people.鈥�

Peeples鈥� topic is helping people in a different way 鈥� looking at what she describes as an understudied area in childhood well-being. The psychology major is interviewing parents of four-to five-year-old children in the US and asking them about what they think is important for early childhood, later she will talk with parents in Denmark, comparing the two countries.

鈥淒enmark and the U.S. focus on very different things when it comes to childhood,鈥� said Peeples, who is also an Honors Fellow. 鈥淚n Denmark, they are focused more on play and outdoor time, while in the US, the focus is more on academics.鈥�

A good childhood

Finding the parents to interview has been easy for Peeples through the dance classes she teaches at Elon DanceWorks. Her mother is also a pre-school teacher. Her mentor Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement, is helping to find parents in Denmark, which they will talk with over the next few months. Peeples plans to go to Denmark next summer to complete her Lumen and Honors thesis research.

鈥淢y mentor has taught me about resilience and organization, while making sure that you take time for yourself, your own mental health and well-being because it can be draining trying to do all these things at once,鈥� said Peeples.

The two began working together in fall 2023 and Vandermaas-Peeler says Peeples has enthusiastically embraced the project.

鈥淪he鈥檚 grown tremendously throughout these intensive weeks and SURE has been exceptional preparation for the next two years as Natalie explores these concepts in the U.S. and in Denmark,鈥� Vandermaas-Peeler said. 鈥淚 feel very fortunate to be in a mentoring relationship with Natalie and support her intellectual journey.鈥�

What does it mean to believe?

Growing up Catholic, Kiara Cronin 鈥�25 is tapping into her perceptions of religion 鈥� looking at how others in her generation (Generation Z) view faith and spirituality, compared to Generation X.

鈥淪pirituality can mean different things for different people,鈥� said Cronin, who is majoring in human service studies. 鈥淚 see people on social media saying they are spiritual but not religious or they believe in a higher power, but not necessarily God. I thought it was interesting how my generation is open about not subscribing to a certain religion and how that differs from someone in my mom鈥檚 generation.鈥�

The project grew out of Cronin鈥檚 work as a Multifaith Scholar through the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society, in collaboration with her mentor Senior Lecturer in Human Service Studies Sandra Reid. Cronin is also an Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellow and connected with Reid through the Disarming Injustice course which all the fellows are required to take, along with a Civil Rights Leadership Tour.

Cronin interviewed people about their thoughts on religion and spirituality and held focus groups on the topic. The culmination of the research will be a podcast miniseries about her findings.

鈥淎 surprising response from people is that they don鈥檛 want to get rid of the traditional ritual acts or traditional values, because that is what makes the church what it is,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut they do think, to some degree, there has to be some change in how the church interacts with young people.鈥�

Just the start

Before this project, Cronin had never done an extensive research project, so she found the process intimidating at first, something Garrett Schmiederer 鈥�25 can relate to.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been time consuming, and difficult at times, but I鈥檓 enjoying it so far,鈥� said Schmiederer, an exercise science major who hopes to become an athletic trainer. 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to do research and it鈥檚 been a learning experience.鈥�

Schmiederer鈥檚 topic looks at concussions in student athletes and their effect on headaches and sleep. His research is still developing, and he plans to have more data by the end of the fall semester and present at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum in 2025.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just the start so far,鈥� said Schmiderer. 鈥淚鈥檓 giving them an ImPACT test, which is a concussion baseline test and then after that I鈥檓 giving them a survey that is about quality of sleep, if they have headaches or migraines and how it鈥檚 affecting their quality of life.鈥�

Schmiederer is mentored by Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of exercise science, and Hall, who is also his academic adviser.

鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of success as a scholar myself, but I enjoy talking to students and working with them to develop something and see their success,鈥� said Hall. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see the topics and say 鈥榃ow that鈥檚 impressive,鈥� but then when you talk to the students at the presentations and they are able to translate what they鈥檝e done to me, who鈥檚 not in their field, is really impressive.鈥�

Racial appraisals refer to the judgments people make about other people’s race and the grounds they use when doing so, such as ancestry, physical appearance, or culture. These judgments historically underlay slavery, segregation and land expropriation, and continue to shape discrimination and anti-discrimination policy.

Prior research had focused almost exclusively on appraisals by white Americans. Ghoshal conducted an original survey with a nationally representative sample of 1,100 people to examine how Americans of varied races constitute race.

Ghoshal found that people of all races use cues of ancestry and appearance to gauge others’ race, but Black and Hispanic Americans are far more likely than whites to think of experiences as one basis for race. For instance, Black Americans consider not just ancestry and appearance but also whether a person’s family experienced enslavement or segregation as a major factor in appraising Black identity, while Hispanic individuals consider whether a person has lived in a Spanish-speaking context as one factor in Hispanic identity.

He also found that Americans accord weight to self-identification and intra-cultural judgments in assessing some claims. For instance, Americans of all races think that whether a person considers themself Hispanic is an important factor in whether they are Hispanic, and that whether an official tribal entity considers a person to be Native American is similarly important in whether they are indeed Native American. But Americans give less weight to self-identification in deciding white or Black identity.

The goal of Ghoshal’s research is not to establish a “correct” logic of racial appraisals or race concepts, since no such correct logic exists. Rather, it is to understand change and constancy in America’s racial system, with an eye toward eliminating racial hierarchy and injustice. The research was supported by Elon’s Faculty Research and Development.

Huber will spend the 2024-25 academic year studying the Book of Revelation 鈥� her area of scholarly expertise 鈥� interrogating how biblical interpretation has shaped racialized identities and writing a monograph, 鈥淩evelation and Whiteness.鈥� Specifically, she will examine color symbolism and how it contributes to whiteness and anti-Black racism in modern America.

鈥淩evelation is a text that shapes much of the views of white evangelical Christians,鈥� Huber said. 鈥淚鈥檓 interested in making explicit connections between language that engages in color symbolism, which wasn鈥檛 racialized when it was written, but has been interpreted and racialized.鈥�

In doing so, she will centralize under-explored impacts of the text that challenge racialized perceptions of God within some sects of the Christian faith.

贰濒辞苍鈥檚 Faculty Research and Development Committee selected Huber for the competitive sabbatical. Faculty are encouraged to apply for sabbaticals if they are conducting extensive research or engaged in significant additional study that will result in their professional development. At Elon, faculty may apply for a full-year/full-pay sabbatical, a leave of one鈥揾alf of a full year鈥檚 teaching load at full salary, or for a leave of a full academic year at half salary.

The committee selected Huber鈥檚 proposed sabbatical project based on its potential to shape future research in religious studies and on her previous record of scholarly achievement and publications, said Rozana Carducci, chair of the Faculty Research and Development Committee and associate professor and graduate director of the M.A. in Higher Education program in the Jo Watts Williams School of Education.

鈥淭he committee found Dr. Huber鈥檚 proposed sabbatical project to be thoughtfully conceptualized with significant potential to advance the field of biblical studies. In addition, Dr. Huber has a strong record of scholarly achievement related to the sabbatical project, having previously written two monographs and nine peer-reviewed articles within her disciplinary specialty.鈥�

Huber is a prominent scholar in the field of Apocalypticism, New Testament studies and ancient Mediterranean religions. She previously has published two books, 鈥淭hinking and Seeing with Women in Revelation,鈥� in 2013, and 鈥淟ike a Bride Adorned: Reading Metaphor in John鈥檚 Apocalypse,鈥� in 2007.

This month, Liturgical Press published her through a queer and feminist lens in its Wisdom Commentary series. In researching that project, she found gaps in research around the Book of Revelation and race, which led her to begin exploring subjects for 鈥淩evelation and Whiteness.鈥�

The opportunity to engage in deep scholarly research influences and heightens Elon faculty鈥檚 teaching and mentorship.

鈥淏eyond benefitting the individual faculty member with extended time to focus on their scholarly interests, Elon benefits from faculty sabbaticals in the form of faculty infusing new knowledge and skills in their teaching and mentoring roles, and the production of scholarship that advances academic disciplines and an Elon education,鈥� Carducci said.

When she returns from sabbatical, Huber plans to develop a new course at Elon examining racialized interpretations of the Bible.

鈥淚 try to help students think about the connections between the ancient texts of the New Testament and the world we live in,鈥� Huber said. 鈥淐onnections around race is an area I鈥檓 trying to learn more about so I can help my students better understand them.鈥�

The business analytics and marketing double major spent聽the past summer in Washington, D.C. as a member of a small cohort of DeJoy-Wo艣 scholars. She took courses through George Mason University and attended a variety of educational and interactive lectures by national leaders. She also completed a professional internship with Electo Analytics during her eight-week stay in Washington, D.C.

“It was an extreme honor to receive the聽DeJoy-Wo艣 Scholarship,” Lee said. “Louis聽DeJoy has worked extremely hard and against many odds to achieve the remarkable success he has had in his career. To be a beneficiary of that success makes me appreciate even more the opportunity to attend Elon and The Fund For American Studies.”

Lee said the D.C. program was a “great complement” to her studies at Elon and exposed her to many eye-opening experiences that have helped her build a professional network.

She said that having one-on-one interactions with both Louis聽DeJoy, an Elon trustee, and his wife, Dr. Aldona Wo艣, was an honor. “Being able to hear their accomplishments and involvements was truly inspiring and opened my eyes to new possible options for my future,” Lee said.

Lee is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority where she is the acting junior treasury chair. She is also involved in multiple foundations that focus on mental health awareness and fundraising in her hometown of Rumson, New Jersey.

After graduation, she hopes to remain in the business analytics field while incorporating her marketing interests as well.

“Being recognized with this scholarship is a humbling experience I will never forget,” Lee said. “It also provides me a confidence boost as I enter my last two years at Elon and importantly as I consider my internship possibilities for summer 2024.”

The DeJoy-Wo艣 Scholarship program at TFAS has been funded for 18 years by the . This year marks the first year of a new gift of $500,000 to be distributed over five years. The annual support is prioritized for students from North Carolina with financial need, as well as a full scholarship to a student from Estonia. Louis DeJoy and Dr. Aldona Wo艣 have provided scholarship assistance to enable more than 120 North Carolina and over 52 Estonian students to participate in TFAS summer programs.