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�þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� at Salem held its fall Undergraduate Research Conference, an event that recognizes students for their research and allows them to share what they learned through discussions with the academic staff. 

The conference is open to all undergraduates in any discipline and in any for-credit course on any �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� State campus. Faculty judges evaluate the presentations based on originality; significance; evidence of learning about the research and information gathering process; and overall quality.

Denise A. Seachrist. Ph.D., was the keynote speaker, sharing her experiences while researching the historical significance of the music and life in isolated German religious communities of the Ephrata Cloister in Eastern Pennsylvania. She retired this past summer after a 37-year career at �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ�, during which she served as dean of the Salem Campus in her last year while continuing to also serve as dean and chief administrative officer of the Stark Campus. 

Seachrist received her doctorate degree in musicology-ethnomusicology from �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� State and her master’s degree in vocal performance from Youngstown State University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Heidelberg University.

She is the author of Snow Hill: In the Shadows of the Ephrata Cloister (2010) and The Musical World of Halim El-Dabh (2003).

The winners from the 2025 URC include:

POSTER COMPETITION

First Place: 

• Logan Ivan for “Learning to Learn: How Metacognitive Self-Evaluation Boosts Student Achievement

Second Place:

• Georgia Wood for “Coffee Type Improves Plant Growth the Best”

Third Place: 

• Gavin Sefsick for “Comparing Prefrontal Cortex Activity Between Passive and Active Learning Using fNIRS”

Honorable Mention: 

• Amber Crawford for “Growth of Treated Field Seed Corn in Different Temperatures”    

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

First Place:

• Raegan Surmaceviz and Skyy Visnosky for “A Mind of a Killer”
• Brooke Thompson for “Healthcare in Hunger as a Weapon of War”

Second Place: 

• Mandy Cardinal for “The Athlete’s Digital Burden”
• Peyton Roberts for “The Frontlines of Hunger Used as a Weapon of War”

Third Place:

• Ava Branch for “Hunger as Control: A Weaponization of Hunger and Its Impacts on Global Health”
• Amber Crawford for “Hunger as a Weapon of War: Animals and Humans Alike

Honorable Mention:

• Dylan Beebe for “World Full of Differences”
• Nevaeh Hamilton for “Displacement in Warzones: Fleeing for Survival

Cutline A: The annual Undergraduate Research Conference took place with help and participation from students and faculty members who served as judges, committee members and/or mentors.

Cutline B: Denise A. Seachrist, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker.

Cutline C: Winners for the 2025 Undergraduate Research Conference poster presentations were (from left) Gavin Sefsick, Georgia Wood, Logan Ivan and Amber Crawford.

Cutline D: Winners for oral presentations at the 2025 Undergraduate Research Conference were (front, from left) Raegan Surmaceviz, Brooke Thompson, Ava Banach, Skyy Visnosky, Nevaeh Hamilton; (back, from left) Amber Crawford, Mandy Cardinal, Dylan Beebe and Payton Roberts.