At 乐播传媒, student researchers are empowered to ask and answer big questions across numerous fields of study. They tackle everything from human biology and marine ecology, to literature reviews of legal movements and the politics of memory, to media analysis of film, literature, and television.

On April 10, more than 200 of these student researchers presented their work to the 乐播传媒 community and their family and friends during the annual Mount David Summit in Pettengill Hall. 

鈥淢ount David is not just a harbinger of spring and the nearing conclusion of the winter semester, though it is those things,鈥� 乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins said during the day鈥檚 opening remarks. 鈥淚t’s also a chance for our community to come together to celebrate the academic heart of our mission. And it’s an extraordinary opportunity for 乐播传媒 students to show off their research, their brilliant and insightful analysis, and their dazzling creativity.鈥�

In between attending student-led talks and panels, attendees weaved through rows of posters on display in Pettengill鈥檚 Perry Atrium. The room was buzzing with questions, and students were eager to answer, discussing their research methods, their main takeaways, and why they were motivated to pursue their projects.

Most of the student researchers were presenting their senior thesis work, representing the culmination of their 乐播传媒 academic careers. Mount David Summit is a day to celebrate student achievement and the people who supported the students along the way, said Joanne Roberts, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.

鈥淚t takes a village to bring an idea from its first spark through its final expression, and we owe a huge thank you to everyone involved, from our committed faculty, to our stellar academic staff, and our invaluable research librarians,鈥� Roberts said.

Learn more about a few of the 200-plus student projects from across disciplines:

STEM

Biology major Zoe Ash 鈥�26 of New York City presented a poster on bottle-nose dolphins鈥� social behavior as it corresponds to how often they do or don鈥檛 follow boats. She conducted research while studying abroad in Croatia, where a day in the lab looked like spending hours on a boat sailing over the Adriatic Sea, snapping photos of dolphins.

鈥淢y favorite discovery from this project was that we see higher social associations in dolphins that follow boats less frequently than we do in dolphins that follow boats more frequently or not at all. 鈥� It tells you that discreet communities are forming,鈥� Ash said.

Also presenting a poster was Enathe Muhawenimana 鈥�26 of Rusizi, Rwanda, a double major in biology and French and Francophone studies, whose project investigated why skin infections are often more severe in patients with diabetes. Her research determined that high glucose level in a diabetic patient was correlated with a higher severity of skin infection. She hopes that her work could be used to advance antibiotic or other therapeutic treatment for diabetes patients.

鈥淟earning about this is so rewarding to me, but it can help people out there as well,鈥� Muhawenimana said.

During an afternoon presentation by members of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships’ Community-Engaged Research Fellowship Program, seven students shared their senior thesis projects. Mathematics major Hope Stafford 鈥�26 of Mountain View, Calif., shared her research on flooding patterns in Providence, R.I. Using a community flood-reporting app called MyCoast, Stafford discovered that floods were likely caused not only by rainfall but also by infrastructure varying across the city.

鈥淭he reason I was using this [app] is to emphasize community voice,鈥� Stafford said. 鈥淲e really want to focus on floods that community members are pointing out.鈥�

During that same panel, neuroscience major Ariya Tayal 鈥�26 of Pittsburgh, Penn., shared her research on how women who are experiencing homelessness access reproductive health resources, a project inspired by Tayal鈥檚 experience working as an emergency room technician and noticing that many women she had met through volunteering in the Lewiston-Auburn community were coming to the ER to access primary care.

鈥淭hat’s such a sad thing to see in our healthcare system,鈥� Tayal said. 鈥淧eople should not be finding out if they鈥檙e pregnant or not at the ER. That’s not appropriate.鈥� 

For her research, Tayal interviewed 19 local women experiencing homelessness and distributed disposable cameras among them for a research method called photovoice, during which participants document their lived experiences and narratives by taking photographs.

In a panel on STEM research, James Hillers 鈥�26 of De Witt, N.Y., presented his research, entitled 鈥淎gent-Based Modeling of Sponge and Algae Endosymbioses.鈥� Looking closely at the relationship between sponge and algae, Hillers used simulations to determine that even though these two symbionts are 鈥渃omparatively unfit,鈥� they thrive together. 

鈥淚 really like making the visualizations,鈥� Hillers said. 鈥淲henever you’re doing computational work, you produce a lot of data, and it’s kind of a pain to do individual visualization. So getting to create robust scripts that can take a ton of data and visualize it into super nice experimental stuff is super fun.鈥�

In the same panel, Gemma DeCarolis 鈥�26 of Santa Monica, Calif., presented research drawn from her summer internship at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla. The 2024 hurricane season resulted in significant vegetation loss, and DeCarolis studied the impact on sea turtle nesting.

鈥淚 was able to take nesting data, disorientation data, and aerial imagery from Sarasota County GIS,鈥� DeCarolis said. 鈥淎fter I’d done all of this quantification and worked with the data, I did statistical analysis in R, using generalized linear models and beta regressions.鈥� She hopes to continue parts of this research as she moves forward with her studies. 

Social Sciences

Economics major Willa Laski 鈥�26 of Bellevue, Idaho, presented a poster on her senior thesis research investigating the relationship between the reintroduction of the gray wolf to the western U.S. and the livestock ranching industry in that region. Laski鈥檚 research found that lethal control of wolf populations did not have a statistically significant effect on livestock depredation 鈥� meaning that controlling wolf populations with lethal measures did not meaningfully impact, positively or negatively, livestock populations.

During a panel called 鈥淲hat鈥檚 Law Got To Do With It?鈥� three senior politics students shared thesis research that explored the law and legal questions. Their presentations covered centuries of U.S. court precedent and legal writing 鈥� from research by Matthew Peeler of New York City exploring intricacies of legal language dating as far back as the 1700s, to research by Sammy Freeman of Dallas exploring how religious exercise arguments from a Jewish standpoint could be used to advocate for abortion access, to a literature review by Reese Hillman of Wayne, Penn., investigating division in the conservative legal movement during President Donald J. Trump鈥檚 second term in office.

鈥淢y thesis comes out of my desire to make sense of some of Donald Trump’s more puzzling legal actions this year,鈥� Hillman said. 

And as psychology major and community-engaged research fellow Katie Heumann 鈥�26 of Ann Arbor, Mich., shared during the Harward Center鈥檚 presentation, civic engagement can begin long before adulthood. Heumann researched how students experience civic engagement in elementary school classrooms in Lewiston through collective participation and norms like classroom jobs, development of individual agency, and socialization.

鈥淎 lot of these classrooms really fostered pro- social behaviors,鈥� Heumann said. 鈥淭hese were things like respect and kindness, but more importantly, inclusivity. Being a friend to all, celebrating one another, being inclusive, being friends to boys and girls were some of the key things that students talked about.

Arts and Humanities

Lining the walls of Perry Atrium, on the edge of the bustling crowds at the poster presentation, were more than 50 photos from the Barlow Off-Campus Study Photography exhibition featuring countries like Nepal, Chile, Hungary, France, Japan, China, and the Netherlands. 

Some students, like religious studies major Shay Campolongo 鈥�26 of Midlothian, Va., found ways to incorporate visual art into their thesis projects on other subjects. For her thesis research on how people understand and memorialize the United States鈥� Japanese-American internment camps during World War II, with particular attention to memorialization of Buddhists in the camps, Campolongo invited 乐播传媒 faculty, staff, and students to two listening sessions prior to Mount David Summit where she presented her research, led discussions, and invited attendees to fold paper cranes. These cranes, made in every color of the rainbow and with intricate patterns, lined her poster during Mount David Summit.

鈥淛apanese-American internment is a piece of history that is often forgotten, but especially the Buddhist lens, and the way that it was not only racially but religiously motivated,鈥� Campolongo said.

Catalina Passino 鈥�26 of Leesburg, Va., a community-engaged research fellow who presented during the Harward Center鈥檚 panel, connected her psychology thesis research to visual art, inspired by her experience taking ceramics classes at 乐播传媒.

鈥淚 was just amazed about how clay affected me and the restorative effects that I felt personally,鈥� Passino said. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥楳an, we should study this beyond just me.鈥欌��

Passino organized an eight-week clay workshop for children in the Lewiston-Auburn immigrant and refugee community and observed how the children experienced mindfulness, resilience, belonging, and emotional regulation throughout the workshop. For their final project, Passino asked the children to create a clay pot that represented each of them, resulting in a collection of unique pieces that Passino displayed in Olin Arts Center. 

Connor Gerraughty 鈥�26 of Hartsdale, N.Y., presented work on synoptic surveillance in The Truman Show, a project which emerged after a patient process of selecting just the right film and finding just the right lens through which to read the film. Though he certainly learned about Foucault and film along the way, his biggest takeaway was about the writing process. 鈥淭here is no perfect, is what I realized,鈥� Gerraughty said. 鈥淚t’s basically just improving and improving. You could work on it forever and you could still make it better.鈥� 

In response, his advisor, Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Stephanie Kelley-Romano said, 鈥淚’m so heartened to hear that it wasn’t going to be perfect and you’re okay with that. I love it. My job here is done.鈥�

In this reel, six seniors reflect on mentorship, discovery, and the thrill of sharing big ideas at the 2025 Mount David Summit, the annual celebration of student academic achievement.

At this year’s summit, held April 4 at its traditional location in Pettengill Hall, 256 students presented 130 research posters and participated in 26 academic talks or panels. 

You’ll also see and hear how 乐播传媒 students show up for each other. 鈥淥ne of my best friends is doing a math presentation on Ulam words,” says Max Olson ’25, and English major from Beverly, Mass. “Do I know what an Ulam word is? Not really. Am I going to see the presentation and find out? Absolutely.鈥�

These are the seniors in this reel, created by 乐播传媒 multimedia producer Theophil Syslo, plus a bit about their senior research:

• Aneeza Ahmad of Sharon, Mass., traveled Maine鈥檚 farmland to amplify the voices of Wabanaki, white, and Somali Bantu farmers.
• Lydia Frew of Norwich, Vt., presented research how dance and movement practices can deepen our understanding of the self through internal sensory experience.
• Nimco Jama of Hargeisa, Somaliland, investigates how wild mustard plants may adapt to climate change through 鈥渉eat memory.鈥�
• Max Olson of Beverly, Mass., explores race and identity in The Lord of the Rings in his English thesis on literary bigotry.
• Ananya Rao of Bedford, N.Y., brings climate policy to life through her internship on offshore wind with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
• Brandon Villalta Lopez of Nicaragua and Costa Rica studies the neuroscience of memory suppression and the power of smell in triggering what we forget 鈥� or remember.
• Fiona Wilson of Barnstead, N.H., uses wildlife camera traps to explore how coyotes, foxes, and fishers adapt to urban life in Lewiston鈥揂uburn.

Captured by multimedia producer Theophil Syslo, enjoy a minute of moments from this year’s Mount David Summit, 乐播传媒’ celebration of academic achievement and student research, held on Friday, March 31, 2023, in Pettengill Hall.

Mount David Summit is all grown up 鈥� this year’s event was the 21st edition of the annual academic party held in Pettengill Hall, centered in Perry Atrium.

Here’s what we saw and heard on the afternoon of March 31, 2023, from student presenters, including a number of seniors presenting their thesis research 鈥� with gusto 鈥� to friends, professors, staff members, family members, alumni, and other guests.

1:26 p.m. Just the essentials

In Perry Atrium, the few minutes before Mount David Summit kicks off is prime time for photographs.

Paige Cote ’23 of New Gloucester, Maine, a biological chemistry major, poses with her thesis research poster, “Effects of Antibiotics on Terpene-Resistant and Wild Type Strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis.”

Terpenes are found in essential oils, which “are are often used as ‘natural remedies,’ though there are a lot of unknowns regarding the effect of terpenes on the microbes that naturally reside on human skin,” says Cote, including the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Her thesis was advised by Colleen O鈥橪oughlin, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

1:32 p.m. Genetically focused

Esther Pincate ’23 of Gurnee, Ill., a double major in Spanish and biological chemistry, talks about her poster, “Genetic Normalization of TCF4 Gene for Treatment of Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome.”

A genetic and neurological disorder, Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome has profound impacts on intellectual development and cognition, mobility, breathing, digestion and other functions.

Her thesis was advised by Andrew Kennedy, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

1:35 p.m. Welcome, all!

In a new twist this year, official greetings to the Mount David Summit were offered in the eight languages (besides English) taught at 乐播传媒.

Here, Assistant Professor of Classical and Medieval Studies Mark Tizzoni offers greetings in Latin.

Joining Tizzoni were student Saliha Gomna 鈥�23 (French) and faculty colleagues Andrea Trumble (Spanish), Hongyu Zhang (Chinese), Keiko Koneda (Japanese), Raluca Cernahoschi (German), Marina Philopovi (Russian), and Laurie O’Higgins (Greek).

Each fashioned a greeting in their language that said, “Dear colleagues, students, staff, professors 鈥� all who have helped prepare this inspiring day dedicated to our academic lives. Welcome to the Mount David Summit of 2023!”

1:47 p.m. Staphylococcus epidermidis, take two!

As Paige Cote did at 1:26 p.m., Ben MacDonald ’23 of Naples, Fla., a biological chemistry major, talks about the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis.

He looked at “The Influence of Small Molecule Pyrazinones on Gene Expression and Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus epidermidis,” advised by Colleen O鈥橪oughlin, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

Pyrazinones are components of a range of natural substances.

1:53 p.m. Hard facts

Students at the summit often stand side by side, if not back to back, as they present their research to listeners.

Here, Alicia Meshulam ’23 of Lexington, Mass., a biological chemistry and French double major, presents her thesis research poster next to Will Schinabeck 鈥�23 of Shaker Heights, Ohio, a biological chemistry major who looked at hard cider for this thesis research.

A decade after commercial manufacturers got into the business, hard cider is still in vogue, and this academic year Schinabeck learned a lot about the fermented alcoholic beverage.

The research he presented, 鈥淣ovel Methods for the Characterization of Hard Cider,鈥� takes a deep dive into new and inexpensive means of effectively (and accurately) characterizing levels of tannin and sugar in hard cider.

His methods are precisely the kinds of hacks that might come in handy for the home hard-cider 鈥渂rewer,鈥� the growing ranks of which include his adviser, Paula Schlax, the Stella James Sims Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She supplied her student with artisanal cider made from wild apples to test his assaying methods on.

How does his professor鈥檚 home brewed hard cider taste? Schinabeck doesn鈥檛 know. One of the rules of his research is, let the science do the talking. 鈥淭asting is subjective, you know.鈥� In fact, he confesses to having limited experience drinking the juiced-up apple juice.

鈥淪ince turning 21 I鈥檝e experimented with a couple of ciders, but I wouldn鈥檛 call myself a connoisseur.鈥� Once he wraps up the science for Schlax though, he does plan to do some personal tasting research.

1:59 p.m. Rapt attention

In the center, Molly Connors ’23, a biology major from Westwood Mass., captivates a group of students with her project, “Control of Gene Expression by a Calcium Signaling Antagonist,” advised by Martin Kruse, an assistant professor of biology and neuroscience.

2:04 p.m. ‘I’m going to Duke!’

Just 30 minutes before arriving to present her research, Emma Johnston 鈥�23 made one of the biggest decisions of her life: which of three doctoral programs she would choose. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to Duke!鈥� she announced.

That prompted a whooping cheer from several sophomore friends who鈥檝e gotten to know Johnston, a biochemistry major from Bradenton, Fla., through their organic chemistry course, for which Johnston is a tutor.

鈥淭his is so exciting 鈥� we鈥檝e been really invested in her adventures,鈥� said Kendall Jones 鈥�25 of Plymouth, N.H. 

Johnston will pursue microbiology at Duke. Explaining her choice, she says she was looking for something like her 乐播传媒 experience, 鈥渁 collaborative program. I love 乐播传媒鈥� collaborative network, and so it was really important to continue that. Duke’s molecular genetics and microbiology program is really exciting and they’re doing some cool research.鈥�

Tutors like Johnston, explained Jones, 鈥渉elp teach us organic chemistry and they also give us advice. I was freaking out about something, and Emma was like, 鈥楧o you wanna get dinner?鈥� And she gave me suggestions for our lab. There鈥檚 a lot of leadership from the seniors like Emma.鈥�

In turn, Johnston had praise for her adviser, Paula Schlax. Asked to describe Schlax in one word, Johnston wanted to give two. 鈥淜nowledgeable and supportive,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose are two strengths that we value in academia, but sometimes we might see one or not the other. Paula has both.鈥�

2:17 p.m. Family history

Erika Parker ’23 of Nipomo, Calif., a mathematics and German double major, presents research in a Pettengill Hall classroom that reflects on her German heritage.

Her great-grandfather emigrated from Germany to El Salvador in 1912. Then he was exiled during World War II, ending up in a concentration camp in 1943. Then he was sent back to Germany.

Parker sought to understand “how he managed to find a home in an unknown place, which for him was El Salvador,” said Parker. Though she and her family live in California, “German characteristics and German culture have always been a part of our lives, and the German heritage has been passed down from generation to generation in our family.”

2:26 p.m. Down the rabbit hole

Dan Mills, director of the 乐播传媒 College Museum of Art and a lecturer in the humanities, leans in to hear Emma Blakslee 鈥�23 of Vail, Colo., talk about her research in biology.

Blakslee likes rabbit holes. Less like the kind inhabited by fluffy bunnies, and more like the Alice in Wonderland kind, where one thing leads to another, and suddenly she finds herself zoomed in on something that may seem very tiny, but has far-reaching effects.

Like microalgae, which has many real and potential applications, including biofuels. But growing microalgae is expensive, partly due to the perceived need to remove bacteria, explains Blakslee, whose research was advised by April Hill, the Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM at 乐播传媒.

“A lot of labs remove bacteria when they grow algae,” she explains. “They put a ton of time into purifying it.”

Blakslee wonders if that’s necessary. So she investigated two microalgal strains that grow in freshwater sponges found in streams and rivers near campus. Among other things, she looked at their microbiome, all the bacteria and other organisms that naturally live on and in us. “Like how we need bacteria in our guts and every part of us to make [our bodies] work.”

In terms of whether the presence of bacteria affects the growth of microalgae, “I showed that microalgae grow as fast or faster in cultures with bacteria as those cultures without bacteria.”

“We’re just learning all the ways that bacteria can actually be really good for us and good for our ecosystems.”

2:10 p.m. Diapers and data

Just a few feet away, Sophie Martens 鈥�23 of Scarborough, Maine, explains to her mother and another listener about her project, 鈥淚npatient Strategies to Reduce Food and Diaper Insecurity in the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Setting: A Quality Improvement Project.鈥�

鈥淔ood and diaper insecurity can have harmful health impacts for kids,鈥� said Martens. At the Barbara Bush Children鈥檚 Hospital in Portland, Maine, Martens designed a process where patients were given a questionnaire assessing their access to food and diapers. Then they were connected with the resources and social help they need.

As a biology major, Martens is interested in the collaboration of public health and medicine; after graduation, she鈥檚 headed to Tufts University School of Medicine.

Martens鈥� work is also traveling beyond the Mount David Summit. The hospital is taking her research to several conferences, including the American Academy of Pediatrics conference in Washington, D.C.

3:23 p.m. Taking a breather

Ali Manning ’23 of Sydney, Australia, a double major in politics and in rhetoric, film, and screen studies, sits for a moment with her parents, Mary and Christopher Manning, in Perry Atrium.

Manning had just presented her research, “Addicted Women,” during a panel discussion. Her work explores the relationship between womanhood, motherhood, and addiction. Her research was advised by Stephanie Kelley-Romano, a professor of rhetoric, film, and screen studies.

3:27 p.m. Atoms are chill, too

Elias Veilleux ’23, a physics major from Orono, Maine, presents his poster, “Generation of Five-State Rabi Oscillation in Rb-87 Bose Einstein Condensates.”

He works in the lab of Professor of Physics Nathan Lundblad, one of a handful of U.S. scientists who’ve been selected by NASA to mount research projects on the International Space Station’s Cold Atom Laboratory.

The term “Bose-Einstein condensates” in the poster title refers to what happens when a cloud of atoms become ultracold 鈥� near absolute zero, that is. The atoms slow down 鈥� way, way down 鈥� until they come together in a blob, or clump, known as a Bose-Einstein condensate.

3:41 p.m. Mapping the conversation

Sokona Mangane 鈥�23 of Brooklyn, N.Y. discusses her poster, a striking visual presentation of the conversations taking place in society around inclusive teaching, and how concepts of inclusive teaching have changed over time.

Advised in her research by Associate Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Carrie Diaz Eaton, Mangane searched papers on CourseSource, an open-access journal of teaching resources, for words related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nine years ago, the most common words were 鈥渄iverse鈥� and 鈥渄iversity.” By 2019, the conversation had become more complex. More and different words entered the DEI and teaching conversation, which means 鈥減eople are talking more,鈥� says Mangane.

Her research poster shows a map of DEI-related words she found in papers from 2014, all clearly readable, and another from 2019, with so many interconnected words it鈥檚 like pepper spilled on the poster.

A mathematics major, Mangane said that presenting data visually really makes the project fly. 鈥淚t seems to have more of an impact on the people seeing it.鈥�

3:51 p.m. Some friendly support

Biological chemistry major Anna Puaala 鈥�23 (right) of Honolulu poses with Imti Hassan ’23 (left) of Portland, Maine, and Luz Rubio Vazquez ’23 of Houston in front of Puaala’s poster.

Puaala’s project was titled, “Does Hypercapnia and Hypoxia Induce Different Ventilatory Responses in Male and Female Japanese Quail Chicks?”

The terms “hypercapnia” and “hypoxia” describe the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. The former refers to abnormally high levels of carbon dioxide, and the latter to a decrease or less than the normal amount of oxygen. She was advised by Ryan Bavis, Helen A. Papaioanou Professor of Biological Sciences.

3:35 p.m. Making a beeline

At the summit鈥檚 annual literary readings by creative writing majors, Lucie Green 鈥�23 of Pittsburg introduced her three-part, tongue-twisting poem 鈥淏ee Spelling鈥� to the crowd in the Keck Classroom.  

鈥淭his is partly inspired by my love of The New York Times Spelling Bee game,鈥� Green said. 鈥淎nd also my love of vocal theater warmups and listening to people do vocal theater warmups.鈥� (Green is a double major in English and theater.) Another inspiration, she said, was a quote from C.S. Lewis鈥檚 book A Grief Observed: 鈥淭he death of a beloved is an amputation.鈥�

The Lewis quote provides the poem鈥檚 structure. Part one, called 鈥淎mputation,鈥� spun off the letters of 鈥渁mputation,鈥� part two took on the letters of 鈥渂eloved鈥� and part three, 鈥淒eath,鈥� presented here, was constructed from 鈥渢he dead.鈥� 

The deed ahead
Heated hate
Added a heat
Eat the head
Date the teeth that heated the hate
That ate the dead ahead of the deed
Eat the tea
Teed the heat
The hated eight
Add the data
Dead the dated
Heed the head

Her audience went wild with yelps and a chorus of snapping fingers.

3:55 p.m. Swamped with success

Most students are understandably apprehensive about presenting their poster research, wondering if it will be well-received. Caleb Ireland ’23 already knew.

Not only was Ireland invited to present his poster research at this year’s American Society for Environmental History conference, but he won the award for most effective poster by an undergraduate presenter.

An environmental studies major from Amherst, Mass., Ireland is completing his senior thesis on the Great Dismal Swamp, which stretches across southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. 

In the years before the Civil War, the swamp became a refuge of resistance for Indigenous, African, and African American people escaping slavery and settler colonialism. Ireland’s thesis is advised by Joseph Hall, an associate professor of history.

4:48 p.m. Galactic achievement

Brandon Villalta Lopez 鈥�25, a physics and neuroscience double major from Managua, Nicaragua, presents his research project to an audience in Pettengill classroom.

At the summit, Lopez, shown at left with his adviser, Associate Professor of Physics Aleksandar Diamond-Stanic, were awarded the inaugural Kerry A. O鈥橞rien Joint Ventures Award. Named for the recently retired assistant dean of the faculty, it recognizes collaborative work by a student and adviser “of the highest quality.”

Diamond-Stanic runs the 乐播传媒 Galaxies Lab, where students like Lopez join research that looks at galaxies and their properties to better understand galactic evolution. Along the way, Lopez has found a mentor in Diamond-Stanic. “As a neurodivergent, queer, Latinx student, it can be challenging to feel like I belong in a field like astrophysics. But this experience, and Aleks鈥� support and mentorship, have empowered me as a scientist.”

It’s all about the snippets, really: brief snatches of conversation between 乐播传媒 students and their audiences 鈥� professors, staff, friends, parents, relatives and other loved ones 鈥� about new ideas and new knowledge created in their academic work at 乐播传媒.

Snippets: “We need to tell more people’s stories when we tell history….,” and then “…and I use Ayn Rand as my control video.” A few minutes later, we hear, “…we reject hypothesis No. 1….” followed by “….mentors and role models were a big theme in my findings.”

Words and ideas, conversation and community: Welcome to the annual Mount David Summit, held in person in its traditional venue, Pettengill Hall, for the first time since 2019.

Here’s how it played out, hour by hour:

1:31 p.m. Amore ac Studio

Guests stream into Pettengill Hall beneath the college’s motto, Amore ac Studio, which is invoked in the college’s mission statement: “With ardor and devotion 鈥� Amore ac Studio 鈥� we engage the transformative power of our differences.”

1:34 p.m. Skin deep

Anna Gouveia ’22 of Jenkintown, Pa., talks with her mentor and senior thesis adviser, Colleen O’Loughlin, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

Gouveia, who is also a studio art major, looked at the effect of what we do to our skin by applying up to 170 chemicals every days through the use of cosmetics.

This chemical exposure forces the human skin into defensive posture, “to adapt to the stress.” And that affects the ability of Staphylococcus epidermidis, a commensal bacteria important in immune system signaling, to do its job.

1:39 p.m. Hi Mom!

In response to introductory words delivered from a Perry Atrium balcony inviting students to thank those who have supported them, Amanda Kaufman ’22 hugs her mother, Valerie Kaufman.

“My mom actually surprised me by coming to the summit 鈥� she thought work would stop her.” But no way. “She brought her work laptop and did work in the car with a hotspot.”

As Kaufman looked at the photograph, she described feeling “just extra thankful that both my parents were there. They’ve always supported me so much and not being able to come to my events (especially track meets) because of COVID was definitely a big bummer.”

1:41 p.m. Welcome!

President Clayton Spencer welcomes the 乐播传媒 community to the Mount David Summit.

1:51 p.m. Positive response

Kaufman talks about her project, which looks at the positive impact of sports in the lives of women and girls in Maine.

“Female mentors and role models was a big theme of my findings, whether idolizing the Olympics gymnastics team or having a really influential coach,” she said.

2:27 p.m. Awe shucks

Two photos on a poster caught our attention as we navigated the sea of posters. One was a black and white image of philosopher and writer Ayn Rand. Alongside it was a dazzlingly colorful image of the northern lights in action.

The juxtaposition was intentional and reflected psychology research by Alix Zabin 鈥�22 of Milford, Conn., on that feeling of 鈥渨onder and amazement鈥� known as awe. 

For her project, she recruited over 222 study participants and asked half to watch an awe-inspiring video of expansive nature scenes, including the northern lights, as presented in the BBC TV show Planet Earth.

The other half 鈥� and this is where Ayn Rand comes in 鈥� were assigned to the control group. They watched a far less awesome video, of Mike Wallace interviewing Rand in 1959. While the interview has interesting moments, its overall effect is indeed aweless: a black backdrop, Wallace chain smoking, and Rand鈥檚 relentlessly flat-toned Russian-inflected voice defending her ideas about objectivism. 

In fact, Zabin says, the two videos 鈥� the clip from Planet Earth vs. Ayn Rand 鈥� have been 鈥減itted against one another鈥� by other researchers who measure feelings of awe. 

Zabin鈥檚 study looked specifically at whether our socioeconomic status can affect our experience of awe. (Socioeconomic status was measured through anonymous, self-reported information.)

What she found was that, regardless of socioeconomic status, participants reacted about the same to the Rand interview: no significant feelings of awe. No surprise there.

But participants who watched Planet Earth video report different levels of awe depending on their socioeconomic status. Those with a lower status reported greater feelings of awe compared to the control group who whatched the Rand interview. However, participants with a higher status did not show an increase in feelings of awe compared to the control group who watched the Rand interview.

Just why upper-status and lower-status viewers might react differently to an awe-inspiring video is not yet known. Could it be, as someone said to Zabin, that wealthier folks have the resources to have more awe-inspiring experiences, which have blunted their appreciation for a simple video? As they say, the answer might be a topic for future research.

1:53 p.m. Roads more traveled

The opportunity to tell an untold story inspired a distinctive 鈥� and colorful 鈥� senior thesis in history.

Speaking as part of a panel discussion in a Pettengill Hall classroom, Maya Benziger, a triple major in music, history, and politics from Aurora, Ill., ticked off three reasons for wanting to create a graphic novel, illustrated with her own watercolors, as part of her thesis work.

First, she wanted to create something that would be accessible beyond the academic community, 鈥渟omething I could bring to my local elementary school,鈥� for example. Second, she wanted to present a slice of history by highlighting material culture, a physical thing.

Finally, she says, 鈥淚 wanted to tell a story 鈥� something human and relatable and connectable,鈥� especially a story that might illuminate the experiences of women, since 鈥渉istories of women are often rather invisible.鈥� 

The result is a 24-page graphic novel featuring Benziger鈥檚 watercolor illustrations that tells a story of a single Sassanid-made glass bowl as it travels across Eurasia along the Silk Roads 鈥� yes, plural 鈥� which she describes as the 鈥渕ovement of people, goods, and ideas鈥� 鈥� including religion, trade, and warfare.

Benziger鈥檚 thesis also includes a companion text, an academic presentation of her historical arguments about the Silk Roads, including how interpretations of the trading networks were initially framed through a Western lens, and how historians need to untangle what that means. 

Historians have presented the concept in the singular, as a single connector between the Western world and the Middle East and Asia. Benziger and others now disagree: 鈥淭he Silk Roads weren’t a connection, but instead the lifeblood of Eurasia.鈥�

Benziger estimates that her thesis represents over 500 hours of work. Like other seniors who鈥檝e dug deeply into their topic, Benziger realizes much more digging could be done. 鈥淚鈥檝e only scratched the surface.鈥� 

Another of her takeaways is her 鈥渕assive, newfound appreciation for the work of both historians and artists.鈥� And a third takeaway: 鈥淚t was fascinating!鈥�

1:55 p.m. Recovery friendly

Gilley Davis-Oakes ’22 of Vinalhaven, Maine, talks to Bruce Hall of the college’s Information and Library Services staff about her project, looking at a Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative that originated in New Hampshire.

The idea of RFWs is to “support their communities by recognizing recovery from substance-use disorder as a strength and working directly with people in recovery.”

RFWs encourage a healthy and safe environment where employers, employees, and communities can collaborate to create positive change and eliminate barriers for those impacted. Davis-Oakes conducted surveys that sought to measure opinions about creating a potential RFW in Androscoggin County.

1:59 p.m. Face-to-face

Jamari Amrham ’22 of Winchester, Calif., presented psychology research on the notion of dehumanization, where social biases, including racism, interfere with human’s holistic ability to easily recognize human faces from non-faces.

2 p.m. Take a stance

For audience members at Mount David Summit, job No. 1 is to listen, as Associate Professor of Physics Jeffrey Oishi vividly demonstrates in posture and gaze during the poster presentations in Perry Atrium.

2:02 p.m. Atomical frustration

Owen Bailey ’22 of Concord, Mass., presents his chemistry research on “Compositional Control of Local and Long-Range Polarity in the Frustrated Pyrochlore System Bi2-xRExTi2O7 (RE = Y, Ho).”

Did the word “frustrated” catch your eye in Bailey’s title? It did ours. “Frustrated” or “frustration” describes the atoms in relation to their neighbor, which becomes “frustrated” when they cannot move in simultaneous directions. 

2:12 p.m. See and be seen

In the hallways of Pettengill’s first floor and second floor, community members could take a look at images from the annual Barlow Off-Campus Study Photo Exhibition.

Inside various classrooms, panel discussions took on an array of topics.

In a ground-floor classroom we found Eben Cook 鈥�22 of Wallingford, Conn. He’s been a fan of rap since middle school. He loves the storytelling nature of the genre and he appreciates the diverse perspectives in the rap scene. Unfortunately, rap has a bad reputation, which is rooted in racism, he explained during a sociology panel discussion.

鈥淩ap was born in the 1970s in the Bronx. Black and brown communities would throw block parties and they would symbolize resistance to oppressive government forces,鈥� says Cook. The genre quickly became popular, and attracted other listeners.

Along came the formation of stereotypes, generalizations, and misconceptions, like the idea that rap music perpetuates and incites violence among its listeners, and that rap music encourages and leads to misogynistic behavior.

鈥淎lthough there are violent and misogynistic themes that occur in rap music,鈥� says Cook, 鈥渋t makes incredible generalizations that are not made about other genres that are historically viewed as white, such as country and folk music.鈥�

Those stereotypes bleed into other areas, like policing, and create a cycle of punishment, says Cook, but his sociology thesis proposes that listening to rap intentionally in class can help students combat those biases, and affirm their own identities.

2:23 p.m. Kinder thoughts

Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Su Langdon is nodding along enthusiastically as Lily Kinder ’22, a neuroscience major from Pike, N.H., explains her poster subject, 鈥淧erseverative Thinking in Relation to Guilt, Motivation and Subclinical OCD.鈥� Kinder is enrolled in Langdon鈥檚 sports and psychology course, although her research stems from the fall semester. 

Meanwhile, the summit is filled with other students of Langdon鈥檚.

鈥淚鈥檝e got my seminar students over there and then two are about to speak and then six are coming to posters,鈥� Langdon tells Kinder, referring to the poster sessions throughout the day.

Kinder surveyed 32 student athletes about their relationship to their sport. The ones who reported higher levels of 鈥減erseverative鈥� thinking (repetitive and negative thoughts often associated with obsessive compulsive behaviors) reported strong fear of guilt 鈥� the dread that one鈥檚 behavior may become misaligned with one鈥檚 ethics. 

In contrast, those with lower levels of perseverative thinking showed increased motivation to engage in athletics, a feeling of competence through sport and a greater ability to socialize with others. The core of Kinder鈥檚 findings are that less perseverative thinking may allow athletes more cognitive resources in order to extract greater value from athletic participation.

Langdon gives Kinder鈥檚 work a big thumbs up. 鈥淰ery cool! Congratulations.鈥�

鈥淭hank you so much,鈥� Kinder says. 鈥淎ctually the last time I came to Mount David I was a prospective student. So it鈥檚 kind of full circle.鈥� And that last time? It was 鈥渄aunting鈥� to see all the high level work being shared. Now it鈥檚 her turn to present challenging work that probes the complexities of the mind.

鈥淚鈥檝e been telling all of the juniors, just go,鈥� Langdon tells her. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so helpful to see it, even if you鈥檙e not sure what the words mean.鈥� 

鈥淔or sure,鈥� Kinder says, laughing with her. 鈥淚鈥檓 thankful I came at that time.鈥�

2:31 p.m. Timing their way

乐播传媒 parents Jim and Wendy Paul check the summit schedule. Their daughter Syd Paul ’22 of Wellesley Hills, Mass., was part of an economics panel on carbon pricing, “Fat Tails and Tipping Points.” Fat tails is a statistical term referring to probability distributions with relatively high probability of extreme outcomes.

2:35 p.m. Making memories

鈥淗ow would you define memory?鈥� asks Andrew Hall 鈥�22, a neuroscience major from Little Silver, N.J. He鈥檚 one of the team of students who continue to explore the possibilities for Bobcat 339, the molecule invented in 2017 by Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Andrew Kennedy and his student researchers. 

Trick question?

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to answer,鈥� Hall says, sensing he鈥檚 got a Bobcat339 rookie in front of him. 鈥淛ust think about it for a minute.鈥� 

Got it. His listener does remember that the Bobcat339 molecule has the potential to govern the function of genes, including those related to memory loss.

鈥淲hen we experience things and form a memory,鈥� Hall says, patiently trying to make the science make sense. 鈥淚t is actually placed onto our DNA. Encoded onto our DNA.鈥�

From there Hall goes into a deeper explanation of the work he did in Kennedy鈥檚 lab, trying to inhibit memories from being made in some mice to see whether Bobcat339 could counteract that inhibitor. The hope is that ultimately, Bobcat 339 might become a pharmaceutical tool to help people with memory impairments, like Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, a severe genetic condition whose effects include impaired memory function, by interfering with the workings of a certain gene, TCF4.

The results, Hall says, were 鈥渁 little mysterious, but still promising:鈥� Bobcat 339 helped over a seven-day test period, but not immediately. That promise 鈥� though not what he or his professor expected 鈥� and the lingering questions represent the nature of research. 

2:42 p.m. Hug and Hello

George Hawkins ’22 of Jacksonville, Fla., gets a hug from Tammy Martin, the aunt of Ari Dahlia ’22 of Brick, N.J.

2:52 p.m. Seeking help

鈥淗onestly it really exceeded my expectations for how many responses I got,鈥� says Ben Conner 鈥�22 of Huntington, N.Y., gesturing toward the numbers on his poster, 鈥淭he Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Need for Help-Seeking Among BIPOC Students.鈥� He surveyed 297 self-identifying BIPOC participants who were at least 18 and attending either college or university.

With under eight minutes to go on the day鈥檚 first poster session, the psychology major is explaining the happy discovery that made the data of his senior project so much richer. Working with Jennifer LaCosse, visiting assistant professor of psychology, he started with a vision of getting maybe 50 to 60 of his fellow 乐播传媒ies to respond.

But a funding award enabled him to go beyond the campus population, via the survey site Prolific, landing 297 participants. Even with the flake rate 鈥� there was a question buried in the survey questions designed to flag those who weren鈥檛 actually paying attention鈥� he got more responses than expected. 

Conner’s respondents who demonstrated a strong level of race identification scored higher on having negative experiences because of COVID. 鈥淏ut then we found that they scored lower on actually using mental health services.鈥�

Those answers backed up his theories. He started with a hunch based on personal experience. As a BIPOC student himself who avails himself of Counseling and Psychological Services at 乐播传媒, his belief was that BIPOC students needed counseling services more than ever. 

鈥淲e see these greater levels of stress because of the pandemic,鈥� Conner says. 鈥淎nd you know, BIPOC-identifying individuals are disproportionately affected, which makes them more vulnerable to health concerns, which would presumably lead to more help seeking.鈥� 

Furthermore the racial tensions that have been such a negative force in the last two years also created more mistrust, which lead to more of the kind of feelings that a mental health professional can help with.

Conner explains that his respondents who demonstrated a strong level of race identification scored higher on having negative experiences because of COVID. 鈥淏ut then we found that they scored lower on actually using mental health services.鈥�

The barriers that keep them away, he says, include stigmas about using mental health services. But another factor is not having access to mental health professionals who look like them. 

鈥淚 attend CAPS and my therapist is white,鈥� Conner says. He was born in Korea and adopted by an American family. 鈥淚 love her, like, she’s amazing. But if you look at the CAPS counselors at 乐播传媒, there’s one who identifies as a person of color. So then, you kind of see all of the students of color flooding towards her, which just isn’t gonna work, you know?鈥�

Addressing that problem would be a good project for future research, but as the clock ticks toward 3 p.m., Conner is wrapping up his Mount David Summit feeling that his poster project is a success.

3:13 p.m. Closing the gap

How can you make eighth-grade students more interested in a math class? Tess Hick 鈥�22 of Minneapolis figured it out: superpowers.

For her senior thesis in mathematics, Hick worked with a teacher at Lewiston Middle School to co-create and co-teach a math class 鈥� but not only about math: She was also teaching them about voting systems, and instead of polling them on say, presidential candidates, she used superpowers as a hands-on example. Which superpower is the best? The winner was invisibility, but by a close vote.

Hick is a Community-Engaged Research Fellow, a program of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. As a fellow, Hick chose to address the racial mathematics gap that is leaving Black students behind. 

鈥淭his is what we call an opportunity gap, not an achievement gap,鈥� says Hick. 鈥淎n achievement gap would mean that it’s the students themselves that are at fault, that they’re not working hard enough to get these scores. An opportunity gap locates the failure where it is, which is in the system to teach these students.鈥�

By using math to examine voting history and current issues, Hick hopes students can take a step toward activism and advocacy, along with learning addition and subtraction.

鈥淪ome students were confused as to why there was suddenly so much social studies in math class, but we really did get to have some good conversations about that, about how no issue in the real world is confined to one school subject,鈥� says Hick.

And the class had another benefit: While learning about voting, LMS students decided they wanted future student council elections to be a ranked choice vote, rather than a plurality. The LMS administration accepted their proposal, and next year鈥檚 elections will be held with the .

3:51 p.m. Virus alert

Osceola Heard ’22 of Newark, N.J., explains his biology research.

He looked at an infamous virus, the rotavirus, which infects the small intestine in big ways. It’s a powerful and highly contagious virus, he explains, that employs 鈥渁 sophisticated replication strategy that also causes life-threatening vomiting and diarrhea.鈥�

Heard’s research is part of ongoing work in the lab of Assistant Professor of Biology Lori Banks to develop new antiviral agents. His project aims to understand key structural regions of a protein known as Nonstructural Protein 4, or NSP4, that is involved in rotavirus replication. 

3:52 p.m. High and low

It’s congratulations time for senior biology majors Elene Chamberlin of Brookline, Mass., and Henry Hardy of Gloucester, Mass.

They both worked on a Maine coastal study to collect data on intertidal species diversity according to specific protocols established by the Northeastern Coastal Stations Alliance. The goal is to understand if species diversity and community composition vary by horizontal or vertical location.

Horizontal and vertical refers to different ways of looking at species in certain zones and areas, such as “asking if species diversity vary at high tide, mid tide, and low tide,” said Chamberlin.

4:11 p.m. Happy returns

After a canceled 2020 summit, and virtual edition in 2021, being back in person was a hit for 乐播传媒 parents who’ve had limited opportunities over the last two years to seek their students do their thing.

4:20 p.m. Eye to eye

Taking a break on the ground floor Thomas Moser seating are Halsey Platt ’88 and Juliet Sutherland Platt, parents of Alex Platt ’22 of Groton Mass., and Gordon Platt ’19, who take a look at the summit schedule.

Their son Alex took part in a religious studies panel discussion. “Religious Studies at the Cutting Edge: Life and Death, Love and War, Local and Global.”

4:38 p.m. Time for “The Talk”

Susanne McGrady 鈥�22 of Madison, Conn., wants to make it easier for parents to talk about sex 鈥� with their children.

鈥淲hen it comes to society, we have this overarching stigma against talking about sex, which is this overall rejection of sexuality,鈥� McGrady says. The result goes beyond discomfort: sexuality as a taboo subject that 鈥渃an lead to discrimination鈥� based on sexuality. 鈥淲e have to combat that at the interpersonal level.鈥�

In preparing her psychology thesis, McGrady worked with Jennifer Wiessner, a local clinical social worker and sex therapist. She watched workshops Wiessner held for parents and helped her prepare research and materials for Maine Family Planning’s Annual Comprehensive Sexuality Education Conference, held earlier in April.

鈥淚t was a lot of fun to feel like the work I was doing meant something to someone beyond handing in a paper and getting a grade,鈥� says McGrady. 鈥淚 like knowing that my work will impact the way parents talk to their kids about sexuality.鈥�

4:41 p.m. Sports, women, and media

Sean Vaz ’22 (right) of New York City explains her psychology thesis to Rishi Madnani ’23 (center) of Langhorne, Pa., and Risa Horiuchi ’25 of Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

Vaz looked at the media鈥檚 coverage of Black female athletes, and how that coverage is consumed by the public.

She notes that not only do women’s sports receive far less media coverage than men’s sports, but “the type of coverage female athletes receive differs based on their race.” In the sports media, “Black women are often portrayed using sexist and racist language in comparison to white women.”

Vaz’s research examines the individuals exposed to sports news 鈥� anyone who consumes sports stories, from fans to casual observers 鈥� “to understand their attitudes towards Black female athletes,” said Vaz.

And additional goal is to understand “how an individual鈥檚 race and how much they identify with their racial group influences their attitudes towards Black female athletes.”

4:54 p.m. 鈥� Purrfect partnership

What鈥檚 better than a good book and a fluffy cat? A book, cat, and a library, says Julia Feist 鈥�22 of Burlington, Mass. 

Feist鈥檚 psychology thesis delves into the success of a cat fostering program co-created by the Auburn Public Library and the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society.

Since the library reopened in 2020 after a COVID-19 shutdown, adoptable cats have lived at the library, available for patrons and employees to visit, as an effort to raise awareness about the GAHS foster and adoption program, while giving everyone a pandemic-era mood boost.

It鈥檚 like a cat cafe, but you don鈥檛 have to bring your own book.

No surprise to Feist, the respondents to her surveys hailed the program as a success 鈥� especially library staff, who were definitely craving some in-person (and in-feline) interaction. 

鈥淚 heard from a lot of people that it changed their routine a little bit,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey would go interact with the cats in the morning, decompress, and then open their department.鈥�

Having the cats around isn鈥檛 only about getting the chance to cuddle a kitty; it creates conversations and camaraderie among staff. The cats benefit, too 鈥� getting a better chance to find forever homes.

5:04 p.m. Body of work

Two posters at Mount David Summit looked at the effect of social media on body image. Seen here is Ari Dalia ’22 of Brick, N.J., who took a pandemic perspective, looking specifically at the effects of social media on young adults’ perception of body image during COVID-19.

A second poster looked at the concept of gratitude and body image.

It鈥檚 said that gratitude weaves its way through most world religions. There鈥檚 science about gratitude, too, which 鈥渋s pretty resolute,鈥� noted an Atlantic story a few years ago. 鈥淔eeling thankful is good for you.鈥� Tara Rodic ’22 of Belgrade, Serbia, took that idea and ran with it at the summit.

Her poster, reflecting her senior thesis in psychology, looked at whether being intentionally grateful for our bodies and what they can do 鈥� Fight illness! Bike! Sing!  鈥� might help reduce the well-known negative effects on body image from viewing so-called ideal bodies on social media.

Her study involved female-identifying college students, some being asked to complete a body-focused 鈥済ratitude intervention鈥� in which they were asked what about their bodies they were grateful for, whether having lungs to breathe or eyes that they really liked. Then they were asked to view and respond to images of thin, 鈥渋deal鈥� body types gleaned from social media.

Rodic found that participants who engaged in gratitude intervention had almost a visceral reaction to the social media body images. 鈥淭hey were really annoyed,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nnoyed by how superficial the social media images were after feeling so grateful for their bodies.鈥�

5:28 p.m. Not your typical serial killer

鈥淚 wanted to find biological and social explanations,鈥� explains Amelia Waite ’22 of Falmouth, Maine. Waite鈥檚 psychology thesis compares case studies on serial killers to find shared characteristics. She hopes to identify ways to prevent violent crime.

Though there鈥檚 no such thing as a 鈥渢ypical鈥� serial killer, says Waite, there are some common factors that could prompt more research, like the development of the prefrontal cortex, but 鈥渋t’s difficult to just say, 鈥�this is what creates a serial killer,鈥欌�� says Waite.

Documentaries, films, books, and podcasts about serial killers are a pop-culture phenomenon, but delving into the biological and psychological motivations behind violent crime is still a relatively recent area of study.

鈥淚 propose that in prison systems and in the criminal justice system that violent offenders are subjected to neurological and psychological assessment, to broaden the information that we already have, to be able to come up with beneficial intervention practices,鈥� says Waite.

After a one-year absence due to the pandemic, the college鈥檚 annual celebration of student academic achievement, the Mount David Summit, zooms back to life this year on Saturday, May 15.

Held virtually via Zoom this year, the 19th Summit offers guests a convenient way to hear directly from 乐播传媒 students about their academic work, some of it cutting edge research.

More than 160 students will participate in this year’s event in four sessions, the first kicking off at 11 a.m. and the final at 4 p.m.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that this great event, a highlight of the academic year, is returning,鈥� says Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Malcolm Hill. 鈥淥ur students are eager to share their research and creative work with a wide audience, and this year鈥檚 Zoom platform means that families, alumni, and friends from all over can join us.鈥�

Typically an in-person event held in and around Pettengill Hall, the Summit moves to the Zoom platform for 2021, with student presenters stationed in Zoom Breakout Rooms that are easily accessible to guests. 

In each breakout room, students will offer poster presentations, short talks, panel discussions, and literary readings, with topics ranging from the relationship between female athletic uniforms and one’s body image and teaching in Lewiston schools during the pandemic to the tension between right whale conservation efforts and sustaining the Maine lobster industry.

And, in keeping with Summit tradition, students will take questions from guests about their work.

Five steps to make the most of this year鈥檚 Mount David Summit

1. . Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email that includes your Zoom URL.
   
2. Before Saturday, spend some time reviewing the summit鈥檚 format. Much like a professional conference, the day features separate sessions of concurrent events that begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
   
3. Pore over the array of topics as described in the students鈥� own words. Here鈥檚 a fascinating topic: how body-image dissatisfaction among Western women 鈥渃an be exacerbated by the use of Instagram,鈥� to be presented by Maya Matlack 鈥�21 of Arlington, Mass.
   
4.  When you come upon a presentation that grabs your interest, find its session and Breakout Room on this searchable list of Summit presentations. Using the above example, we searched for 鈥淚nstagram鈥� and found that Matlack is presenting in Session 4 (beginning at 4 p.m.) in Breakout Room 9.
   
5. Finally, when you join the Summit via Zoom on Saturday, just click the Breakout Rooms icon at the bottom of your Zoom menu to find the student presentation you鈥檙e interested in. 

As always, the various Summit sessions explore everything under the sun. (And even beyond the sun, such as a discussion on why the universe forms stars 鈥渋nefficiently,鈥� in Session 2, Breakout Room 12.)

Other offerings include:

• What it鈥檚 like to be a student teacher in the local schools during the pandemic (Session 3, Breakout Room 20). 
• Questions of race and how lawyers use the legal tool known as peremptory challenges to exclude jurors without providing an explanation. (Session 3, Breakout Room 18). 
• Insights into Japanese rap music as an art form 鈥渇ar from being simply an imitation鈥� of American rap (Session 3, Breakout Room 17).
• Why the hundreds of risk genes associated with autism spectrum disorder make ASD a challenge to characterize (Session 4, Room 17).
• Media rhetoric in response to the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill insurrection (Session 2, Breakout Room 16).
• Right whale conservation vs. the sustainability of the lobster fishery (Session 4, Breakout Room 15).
• Community-engaged research fellows will discuss their research with partners in Lewiston (Session 1, Breakout Room 18).
• Readings by creative writing students (Session 1, Breakout Room 20).
• And, dance majors will discuss how they develop choreography in their pieces (Session 2, Room 20), theater directors, actors, and stage managers will share their creative process (Sessions 1 and 3, Rooms 17 and 19), and 乐播传媒 College Museum of Art interns will discuss their curatorial work (Session 4, Breakout Room 14).

First held in April 2002, the Mount David Summit is sponsored by the Dean of the Faculty鈥檚 Office and the Student Research Program.

“I was welcomed to stand on this person鈥檚 land, in his home,” says Grace Ellrodt ’20, describing what it was like to visit, interview, and photograph an elderly Chilean farmer during her semester abroad in 2019.

For Nicole Kumbula ’21, whose program took her to four cities on four continents, studying abroad brought empowerment, the feeling that she could “proudly share where I come from, the places I had been, and where I was going.”

Such are the outcomes of study abroad 鈥� helping students realize that spending time in another culture demands gratitude and humility even as it instills pride and self-confidence.

Below are 12 images that were selected for this year’s Barlow Off-Campus Photography Exhibition, including one that Ellrodt took of the Chilean farmer, part of her project looking at loneliness among elderly persons, and Kumbula’s photo of the small Buenos Aires eatery where she gained language skills.

(Usually mounted in Pettengill Hall and comprising dozens of photographs depicting 乐播传媒 students鈥� study-abroad experiences, the annual Barlow exhibition was another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Amaile, Samoa

Photographer: Ariel Abonizio ’20 of Cuiab谩, Brazil
Majors: Anthropology; Art and Visual Culture (studio art)
Program: SIT Samoa 鈥� Social and Environmental Change (winter semester 2019)

Ariel describes the photograph: Four Samoan boys race toward the village’s church in Amaile, Samoa.

Ariel Abonizio ’20

The Catlins, New Zealand

Photographer: Zoe McKinney 鈥�21 of North Conway, N.H.
Major: Psychology
Program: University of Otago (fall semester 2019)

Zoe describes the photograph: Sunset over the Catlins on the South Island of New Zealand.

Zoe McKinney 鈥�21

Dharamsala, India

Photographer: Liz Casey 鈥�21 of Holderness, N.H.
Major: History
Program: SIT Nepal 鈥� Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples (fall semester 2019)

Liz describes the photograph: The young students of the Tibetan Children’s Village Day School in Dharamsala take a break from their studies with a competitive soccer match. While we huddled for shelter from the heavy afternoon thunderstorm, the kids didn’t seem to mind a little rain.

While abroad, I researched the cultural repercussions of language loss in the Himalayas as a result of educational migration. My visits to boarding and day schools in India and Nepal provided foundational understanding of the threat of language endangerment as well as the complexity of Himalayan youth identity.

As an education minor at 乐播传媒, I was thrilled with the opportunity to be back in the classroom and working with kids!

Liz Casey 鈥�21

Makewa, Chile

Photographer: Grace Ellrodt ’20 of Lenox, Mass.
Major: Environmental Studies
Program: SIT Chile 鈥� Public Health, Traditional Medicine, Community Empowerment (winter semester 2019)

Grace describes the photograph: This is Juan, who lives in Makewe, a primarily Mapuche indigenous community in southern Chile. He is pictured on his farm, where his animals 鈥� including this pig 鈥� are like his children. I interviewed him and others for site, my capstone project about a pressing public health issue: loneliness among older adults.

I was welcomed to stand on this person鈥檚 land, in his home, to capture an everyday rhythm to him 鈥� and an explorative one for me. My study abroad gifted me these exchanges over and over.

Juan is alone while his wife gets medical treatment for three days at a time. His church community and his faith are loneliness antidotes. He told me, “El Creador de arriba, 脡l es lo que te cuida de la noche. Entonces, uno no puede sentirse demasiado solo.” (“The Creator above is the one who cares for you at night. So, one can鈥檛 feel too alone.”)

Grace Ellrodt ’20

Galicia, Spain

Photographer: Liz Folsom ’21 of San Mateo, Calif.
Major: Geology
Program: University of Virginia in Valencia (fall semester 2019)

Liz describes the photograph: A new friend made on a misty morning somewhere along the Camino de Santiago trail in Galicia, Spain.

Liz Folsom ’21

Yangshuo, China

Photographer: Owen Greenwood ’21 of Wellesley Hills, Mass.
Majors: Chinese and History
Program: Inter-University Program in Beijing (fall semester 2019)

Owen describes the photograph: From under the arch of the Moon Hill, this photo was taken looking out at a town in the distance outside of Yangshuo, China. Behind the town are karst mountains, for which this region is well-known. My roommate and I had zigzagged through town on rented motorbikes about 30 minutes to reach this destination and hike up to the view.

In Yangshuo, I experienced a distinct local culture uniquely separate from the hustle and bustle of China鈥檚 mega-cities.

Owen Greenwood ’21

El Calafate, Argentina

Photographer: Lexie Jamieson 鈥�20 of Scarborough, Maine
Majors: Politics and Spanish
Program: IFSA Butler in Buenos Aires (winter semester 2019)

Lexie describes the photograph: This photo was taken while I was glacier-trekking in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The picture depicts the sun behind the Argentine flag, flying proudly over the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park.

Buenos Aires is a metropolitan, European-style city, and I was so glad I had the opportunity to visit El Calafate and El Chalt茅n and enjoy life at a slower pace. Learning about the indigenous and native populations that inhabit these small towns and witnessing the natural beauty of Patagonia that travelers come from all over the world to see was both eye-opening and breathtaking.

Lexie Jamieson 鈥�20

Roskilde, Denmark

Photographer: Abigail Kany 鈥�21 of Phoenix
Major: Neuroscience
Program: DIS Study Abroad in Copenhagen (fall semester 2019)

Abigail describes the photograph: I lived at a Danish folk-high school (“f酶lkeh酶jskole”) with Scandinavians my age, exploring music and culture based in the town of the massive Roskilde Festival, which would be celebrating its 50th festival this summer. We would receive free tickets to small local concerts outside of Copenhagen, and though this crowd was no bigger than 30 people, it was the most electric concert ever. The Scandinavian musicians would address the crowd in Danish and English, sometimes Swedish. But everyone was on board.

Abigail Kany ’21

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Photographer: Nicole Kumbula ’21 of Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
Major: Chemistry
Program: IHP Cities in the 21st Century (fall semester 2019)

Nicole describes the photograph: This image shows a small sit-in and take-away restaurant located a block from my classroom in Buenos Aires. Most important to me was the Spanish menu by the grill. Here I practiced the few Spanish words that I had picked up. I recall how happy I was whenever I walked out with the right order to go.

My host mom had taught me just enough words to get by in the city, ordering my afternoon snack, for example, would be 鈥淨uiero dos empanada de carne, para llevar, por favor鈥� (鈥淢ay I please have two beef empanadas to go鈥�).

The photo embodies food and language. The two became very apparent and crucial as I moved to Barcelona and Cape Town. In sharing these two aspects with the people I met, I was able to see myself as a Black African woman living in world-class cities and proudly share where I come from, the places I had been, and where I was going.

Nicole Kumbula ’21

Florence, Italy

Photographer: Alexandra Leahy 鈥�20 of Cohasset, Mass.
Major: Art and Visual Culture
Program: Syracuse University in Florence聽 (winter semester 2019)

Alexandra describes the photograph: A view out the window of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The Palazzo Vecchio is peeking out in the background beyond a statue and window reflections.

Alexandra Leahy 鈥�20

London, England

Photographer: Julien Lewin 鈥�20 of Seattle
Major: Economics
Program: University College London (winter semester 2019)

Julien describes the photograph: A Londoner tends to pigeons perched atop the wall along the north side of the Thames River on a brisk February day. This photograph makes me think of walking with my grandfather along the San Francisco Bay. The pigeon flying from this man’s hand represents the growth of my relationship with my grandfather 鈥� the effort to prepare me for my own journey of life.

Julien Lewin 鈥�20

Near Wanaka, New Zealand

Photographer: Hannah West 鈥�21
Major: Biology
Program: University of Otago (fall semester 2019)

Hannah describes the photograph: Taking a break and enjoying the view with friends in Mount Aspiring National Park. On our second day trekking through the park, we stumbled upon what we claim to be the “best bench in the entire world.” We sat there for a few minutes and took in the view.

Going abroad to New Zealand enhanced that feeling of living in the moment and taking advantage of everything there was to offer.

Hannah West 鈥�21

It鈥檚 one thing to document the little moments of Mount David Summit, the individual posters and snippets of conversations and stories of personal journeys.

It鈥檚 another to capture the totality within the glass walls of Perry Atrium 鈥� the culmination of dozens of students鈥� education, the pride of countless parents and professors, the knowledge students have contributed to their fields, spread out over hours of poster sessions.

Watch the entire Summit go by 鈥� as much as a single camera could capture 鈥� in this time-lapse video.

During the 18th annual Mount David Summit last Friday, 乐播传媒 photographer Phyllis Graber Jensen and writers Jay Burns and Emily McConville elbowed their way (politely, of course) around Pettengill Hall’s Perry Atrium to gather material for these portraits.

From these 10 students, faculty, staff, and two proud spectators 鈥� Summit founders Ralph Perry ’51 and Mary Louise Seldenfleur聽鈥� we learned about secret study spaces, inspiring thesis advisers, and what used to be where Pettengill Hall is today.

Reed Feldman 鈥�19

Encouragement to flex our creative muscles

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: Waccabuc, N.Y.

Poster title: 鈥淣ationality and Social Networks鈥�

Major: Physics

Adviser: Carrie Diaz Eaton, Digital and Computational Studies

Best part of working with your adviser? In our courses, we learn a lot of cool computational techniques. Those are building blocks. She encourages us to apply these rigid techniques to interesting, non-computational problems, like my project. She encourages us to flex our creative muscles.

What is your project about? I鈥檓 looking at interviews with 20th-century mill workers preserved at Museum L-A, using what鈥檚 called social network analysis.聽Specifically, I鈥檓 interested in whether or not a worker born outside the U.S. was more likely to have less social influence than a native-born mill worker.

One word to describe the Mount David scene? Pride. Not just of my work, but to be part of this awesome day.

Favorite study spot? Coram Library computer lab. It鈥檚 quiet and it鈥檚 got good light.

Next year? Working at a tech company in New York called Symphony. I interned there last summer and I鈥檓 going back. I got an offer.

Brandon Galloway ’19

It鈥檚 good to be with people who are having similar experiences

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: Fort Washington, Md.

Major: Biochemistry

Poster title: 鈥淭he Purification and Expression of E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase from Clone Genes鈥�

Adviser: T. Glen Lawson, Chemistry and Biochemistry

How did you choose Professor Lawson as an adviser? I was interested in protein degradation, and he makes it so interesting. I decided he had to be my first choice as an adviser, and I was lucky to get him.

鈥淧rotein degradation鈥� sounds like a bad thing. Is it? Well, no. After a protein in your body accomplishes its cellular task, its amino acids are broken down to be reused. The ubiquitin proteasome pathway, which I talk about in my thesis, is one process for breaking down proteins.

Favorite study spot? I love the lounge on the second floor of Dana Chemistry Hall. You can get a lot of stuff done.

Alone or with a group? There鈥檚 usually a group that hangs out and collaborates, especially junior year, when we take some of the core courses. It鈥檚 good to be with people who are having similar experiences as you.

One word to describe this scene? Amazing. You just have so many different fields of study coming together at the summit. Everyone loves it. I visited the past three years and dreamed of presenting here.

Next year? Medical school, eventually, but next year I鈥檓 planning to work as a medical scribe. I want to get experience working with physicians.

Advice to a first-year student pursuing a STEM major? Talk to professors in different departments. Find out if it鈥檚 what you really want to do. It may be hard at times but if you love it, stick with it.

Jenna Powell ’19

Take any class that you want to

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: San Francisco

Major: Classical and Medieval Studies

Poster Title: 鈥淒ike in Hesiod鈥檚 Theogony and Works and Days鈥�

Adviser: Laurie O’Higgins, Classical and Medieval Studies

Who is Dike? She鈥檚 the daughter of Zeus, the goddess of justice. Zeus typically absorbs female power, but she maintains her power. So she represents a really interesting figure of justice, especially today.

Why is Professor O鈥橦iggins a good adviser for you? Sometimes I can get into my head too much 鈥� I have all these ideas. She helps me so I can guide my own thinking.

One word to describe this scene? Inspiring.

Favorite study spot? Second-floor lounge in the library, overlooking the Den Terrace. Lots of natural light, and it鈥檚 a quiet study space.

Alone or with others? I鈥檓 a chatty person by nature, so I tend to work alone, to get work done.

What advice would you give your first-year self? Take any class that you want to. I stayed away from some courses that I didn鈥檛 think would help my major. Always take it!

Next year? I鈥檓 going to live and work in New York City, then to law school. I feel like I need to experience New York at least once.

Ralph Perry 鈥�51 and Mary Louise Seldenfleur

Founders and supporters of the Mount David Summit

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

What was on this site when you were a student?听Perry: A dump! The old heating plant and not much else.

What role does the audience play at the summit? Seldenfleur: Really important. They help give the event a great sense of purpose.

One word to describe this scene?听Perry: Magnificent!

Why is it powerful to celebrate academics in this way? Seldenfleur: Because academics is what a college like 乐播传媒 is all about. Because it lasts your whole lifetime.

Anna Setzer 鈥�19

Guidance, without hand-holding

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.

Major: Politics

Adviser: James Richter, Politics

Poster title: 鈥淩eimagining Citizenship in the Era of Climate Change鈥�

When did this topic crystallize? When I went to Buenos Aires during my junior fall, someone on my program mentioned climate-change refugees, and I was like, 鈥淲hat is that?鈥�

So what is a 鈥渃limate-change refugee鈥�? Someone forced to flee their country due to the effects of climate change. I didn鈥檛 know the idea would turn into ideas about citizenship, but here we are!

Why is Professor Richter a good adviser for you? He鈥檚 guided me, without hand-holding, by asking me questions that help me guide my own thinking.

One word to describe this scene? I鈥檒l be honest: Loud! And rewarding. Even the questions I鈥檓 getting right now are helping to push me to think about things I haven鈥檛 considered yet.

Favorite study spot? Anywhere that is well-lit, is quiet, and has big windows. I don鈥檛 want to give away my spot! But I would say, maybe, the Roger Williams computer lab.

What advice would you give your first-year self? Be open to possibility. Say 鈥測es鈥� to things.

Next year? I鈥檓 headed to Colombia on a Fulbright to teach English.

Coy Candelario 鈥�19

We were like, “Let鈥檚 test this”

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.

Major: Psychology

Adviser: Alex Borgella, Psychology

Poster title: 鈥淟atino Prototypicality: The Roles of Skin-Tone and Spanish Language Ability on Perceptions of Identity鈥�

Why did this topic interest you?听My thesis adviser and I are both Hispanic 鈥� he鈥檚 light-skinned but speaks fluent Spanish, and I鈥檓 dark-skinned and speak no Spanish. That鈥檚 where this whole idea developed. We鈥檙e like, “Let鈥檚 test this.”

What鈥檚 the best part of working with your adviser?听He kept me on schedule and on point. He made sure week to week I was getting small things done, so it would add up in the end.

Where did you do your research and writing?听My room in Moody House; library computers when I used specific software.

One word to describe this scene:听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍补濒.

What advice would you give to a first-year?听Make sure you鈥檙e staying on top of your work. [And to seniors:] Take thesis first semester. I wish I had done thesis first semester, because I would have gotten it out of the way.

What was the most rewarding part of writing your thesis?听You do so much, and you see the work you put in.

Plans after 乐播传媒? Finding a job in marketing or sales, preferably out West.

Hannah Smith 鈥�19

If you also love it, you can get into it

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: Sandwich, Mass.

Major: Neuroscience

Adviser: Andrew Kennedy, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Poster title: 鈥淩educing TET2 in the CA1 of the Hippocampus Enhances Spatial Memory鈥�

Why did this topic interest you? Andrew Kennedy was my organic chemistry professor my sophomore year, and he would talk about his work. I got interested in that, so I talked to him about it, and by the end of sophomore year started working in the lab.

What鈥檚 the best part of working with your adviser?听His first year was my sophomore year, and I got into the lab pretty quickly after that. It鈥檚 been so cool watching the project almost from the beginning, to the really insane results we have now.

Where did you do your research? Andrew Kennedy鈥檚 lab in Carnegie Science Hall.

One word to describe this scene?听Culmination.

What advice would you give to a first-year?听Build relationships with professors. Look into what they鈥檙e doing and talk to them about it, because they love it. They want to talk about it, and if you also love it, you can get into it.

Plans after 乐播传媒? Doctorate in neuroscience.

Alex Borgella

I鈥檓 super proud of them

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Position: Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology

Number of students presenting posters: Two

Why is the Mount David Summit important?听It’s basically a junior version of the process you’d go through as a professor or graduate student presenting at conferences and publishing your research.

Some of these students will likely go on to do one or both of those, too. I鈥檓 super proud of them.

MDS in a word: Perseverance.

Something you learned today?听Tongue twisters can suppress executive functioning and short-term memory. Try saying “red Buick, blue Buick” five times fast while trying to hold a list of random numbers in your head. It’s hard.

Andrew Mikula 鈥�19

It was like catching up with an old friend

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Hometown: Wellesley Hills, Mass.

Major: Economics

Project Title: 鈥淭he Effect of State Environmental Regulations on Housing Production鈥�

Adviser: Michael Murray, Economics

Why did this topic interest you?听I鈥檝e been interested in the housing market for a long time, and the regulation piece came a little later. I’m interested in the relationship between regulation and housing markets.

What was the best part of working with your adviser?听It was like catching up with an old friend. You get to know him at a deeper level, and it gives you a new perspective on the field after your intermediate classes.

Where did you do your research? Hedge basement computer lab.

One word to describe this scene?听Motivational.

What advice would you give to first-years?听Take a bunch of classes in a bunch of different subjects, and you鈥檒l find your place.

Post-grad plans: Find a job in local government.

Stephanie Wade

I鈥檓 really impressed by the sophistication of their research

Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College

Position: Assistant Director of Writing at 乐播传媒

What brings you here?听I want to see the sort of research and creative work that students are doing as they graduate. I work with students in the early years, and it鈥檚 interesting to see where they鈥檙e going. I鈥檓 really impressed by the sophistication of their research.

What did you learn here today?听I learned about childhood heart disease and barriers to treatment, and I learned that biology students can sometimes work with sociology professors on their thesis projects.

One word to describe this scene?听Buzzing.

Does MDS make you miss college?听I always want to go back to college. That鈥檚 why I work here 鈥� because I get to stay in college!