In honor of their 50th reunion, alumni Jayne Hart Chambers �76 and Don Frederico �76 announced the creation of the Class of 1976 AMRE Consulting Endowed Fund to expand hands-on learning opportunities for students. The class has already raised more than $335,000 toward the endowed fund, and alumni may continue to support the fund at . An anonymous class member inspired participation with a $50,000 matching gift challenge successfully met by the class, and an additional anonymous matching gift of $10,000 was made during Reunion Weekend. AMRE, 黑料老司机檚 Applied Methods and Research Experience, connects students working alongside faculty mentors, to companies and organizations as teams of consultants on an initiative the client identifies that will benefit from an outside perspective and skills. During the summer program, interdisciplinary student teams work full time with clients to address real-world challenges while developing skills in collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

The College also recognized five alumni with awards at the Outstanding Scots Ceremony on Saturday, May 30. Selected by the Office of Advancement and the Alumni Board in recognition of their professional achievements and philanthropic efforts, those recognized include Christine Farrell �94, John D. McKee Volunteer Award; Sebastian Northrup �16, Outstanding Young Alumni Award; and Niki Healy Jordan �61 and the late David Jordan �59, Sara L. Patton Stewardship Award. This year檚 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients included Deborah Elwell Arfken �63 and Keith Walker �70.

Farrell is a project director at Workday with more than 25 years of experience leading complex digital transformations in higher education. She oversees large-scale Workday deployments to align strategy with execution. A dedicated College of 黑料老司机 alumna, she has long supported the community through alumni leadership, service projects, events, and board service, and is a committed contributor to The 黑料老司机 Fund.

Northrup is the founder of Delmar Nord, a search firm specializing in investment management. He began his career in quantitative finance recruiting, including roles with Phaidon International and Levin Group. He serves on the board of the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference and as an assistant hockey coach at Southern Methodist University. He remains active with 黑料老司机 through alumni events and volunteering with the Admissions office, and he organized the 2026 Phi Sigma Alpha reunion.

The Jordans built meaningful lives rooted in education, service, and creativity, with careers in academia, school psychology, and civic engagement. They have supported the College through decades of giving to The 黑料老司机 Fund, the creation of the Nicola and David Jordan Endowed Scholarship, and support for the renovation of Lowry Center. Their philanthropy and service exemplify enduring partnership in advancing the College檚 mission and future.

Arfken is professor emerita of political science and public service at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she served for 36 years in roles including dean of the graduate school, registrar, and director of planning. She taught nonprofit management in the Master of Public Administration program and, after retiring, served local organizations as interim CEO of Siskin Children檚 Institute and interim executive director of Little Miss Mag Early Learning Center. She remains active in nonprofit boards and rotary and was named a Chattanooga Woman of Distinction.

Walker, a leader in agricultural biotechnology with a career spanning more than 50 years, is the founding CEO of Cibus Global and continues to serve on its board. Previously, he led the division that became Cibus at ValiGen. He also operates a consulting firm, serves on multiple industry boards, and is credited with more than 200 patents and numerous publications.

Reunion Weekend welcomed alumni, families, and friends back to campus for four days of celebration, connection, and recognition of their enduring impact of the 黑料老司机 community. See more from the event here.

Featured image: Alumni Jayne Hart Chambers �76 and Don Frederico �76 announced the creation of the Class of 1976 AMRE Consulting Endowed Fund to expand hands-on learning opportunities for students with more than raised $335,000 by the class.

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黑料老司机 plans to use the grant to build a Faith-Driven Leadership & Vocational Discernment Program that formalizes partnerships with local faith leaders to co-create authentic internship experiences where students can practice leadership and receive mentoring in community contexts. The initiative is designed to strengthen 黑料老司机檚 existing pre-ministry program, led by Chan Sok Park, chair and associate professor of religious studies.

Pre-ministry already supports a broad variety of vocational paths including chaplaincy, social work, non-profit services, and congregational and liturgical leadership. Until now, it focused on fostering vocational discernment and education by cultivating networks with religious practitioners and engaged alumni. It檚 steadily grown in recent years with an increasing number of students showing interest in gaining hands-on experience through internships.

淧artnering with community faith leaders through this grant not only allows us to co-create internships and foster mentoring relationships, it also provides real-world context for students to develop empathy, integrity, collaboration, and communication, which are all competencies central to leadership in any profession,� said Park. He will serve as primary investigator for the grant alongside Rev. Travis Webster, incoming campus chaplain, who starts at 黑料老司机 this fall.

Park and Webster will engage a strategic partnership working group of community leaders and interested faculty to design internships that will prepare students for ministry and other service-oriented vocations, while strengthening connections to the religious community of 黑料老司机. Grant funding will cover student stipends for nine internships spread out across summer 2027, fall 2027, and spring 2028. It will also offer leadership training opportunities such as the Interfaith Academy that link foundational leadership skills with each student檚 individualized experience.

淣ot all students are able to commit to an unpaid internship due to financial responsibilities or summer work obligations,� said Park. 淏eing able to offer financial support expands these opportunities to a broader audience.� The internships aren檛 limited to pre-ministry or religious studies students, either. All majors, especially students in other pre-professional programs, can explore how faith-informed leadership and service can intersect with diverse professional trajectories. For example, pre-law students could engage in immigration advocacy and justice-focused service through partnerships with religious organizations committed to immigration justice initiatives. The strategic working group is designed to identify, expand, and co-create opportunities like this.

The (CIC) is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education檚 contributions to society. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help independent institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.

Featured image: Chan Sok Park, chair and associate professor of religious studies, will serve as primary investigator for the grant to support students as they consider vocations of leadership in established faith communities.

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Findley collaborated with choreographer Vanessa Cook and poet Darlene Young, both of whom he met at the Artists Residency at the Center for Latter-day Saints Arts in New York City. Findley also connected with visual artists Michelle Nixon and Justin Wheatley, as well as essayist Isaac Richards. The connection between these six interdisciplinary artists at the residency resulted in a long-term periodic Zoom call to discuss artistic questions, update each other on individual milestones in their work, and eventually, to combine their efforts for a project together.

The project that became A Brief Collection of Moments was commissioned by the Ariel Bybee Endowment at the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts. This endowment commissions original scholarship or new art each year to honor the legacy of the distinguished mezzo-soprano Ariel Bybee, who sang for 18 seasons with the Metropolitan Opera. While it is frequently focused on a single artistic medium, this year was a distinctive experience as the choreographer Vanessa Cook wanted to collaborate with her fellow residency participants to create art that would be multi-modal: original musical score, a singer on stage during the ballet, choreography, visual art, and even original poetry and prose components. Findley agreed to compose the music as Cook choreographed, which necessitated great attention to the many moving parts of the collaboration.

淓verything between the dance and the music had to be extremely coordinated, and we worked all summer. Every single week we had a Zoom call, she檇 note what worked for the dance and what was too complex,� Findley said. 淭he soprano on stage ended up becoming the focus as much as the dancers, and you had this dialogue between her presence and the presence of the dancers.�

The resulting ballet explores human relationships through a series of eight brief vignettes over 15 minutes, and in each vignette the total number of dancers on the stage grows, following the Fibonacci sequence from a single dancer, to two, three, five, and onward through the vignettes.

Findley can see many potential applications at 黑料老司机 for his experiences participating in this collaborative project. While composing original music always keeps his teaching process lively and engaged, composing in collaboration with multiple artists could be a potential opportunity for Independent Study projects.

淚f students know I檝e been doing this kind of collaboration, I hope they檒l be more willing to experiment and take that leap into this terrain,� said Findley. 淭he people you檙e around as an undergraduate are some of the longest collaborator relationships you檒l have. These are the people I go back to again and again, and the more people you collaborate with, the more opportunities you get.�

Findley has collaborated in his composition work before and plans to continue to do so in the future; he finds the lessons along the way, as well as the final products of these efforts, enriching.

淢y vision cannot compete with the vision of everybody else, and I have to be able to take a back seat sometimes, then sometimes I have to take a step forward in a way that isn檛 stepping on people檚 toes,� said Findley. 淭his negotiation works really well with people who are all listening and finding wiggle room in their own vision to make something powerful.�

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Chandor, who crafted a student-designed major in cultural film studies at 黑料老司机, received an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay for his 2011 directorial debut,听. Featuring an ensemble cast including Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci, the film follows a group of traders and executives at a Wall Street investment bank through 24 hours during the 2008 financial crisis, as they struggle to come to grips with a crisis that threatens to sweep them, their clients, and the entire firm away. The film also earned recognition from the Independent Spirit Awards, Berlin International Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, National Board of Review, and New York Film Critics Circle.

called Chandor檚 work on Margin Call 渁n extraordinary feat of filmmaking� when it debuted in 2011. 淗is formal command � his ability to imply far more than he shows or says and to orchestrate a large, complex drama out of whispers, glances, and snippets of jargon � is downright awe-inspiring.� The awe-inspiring director met the star of his next film, Robert Redford, when Margin Call premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and developed All Is Lost, starring Redford solo as a sailor battling the wind and sea. Also known for A Most Violent Year and Triple Frontier, Chandor began his film career at 黑料老司机.

満诹侠纤净� saw something in me, and I really flourished there. I got into theatre, took photography and painting classes,� Chandor told the College in 2012.

For his Independent Study, the College檚 signature, nationally recognized senior capstone project, Chandor wrote, shot, and edited a film, which he cheerfully admits was 渁 total overreach, too vast in scope and scaleut I got jobs right away after graduation based on it.� The production of The Table for I.S. was not a small feat in 1996 before the prominence of digital filmmaking. One of his faculty advisors Richard Figge, professor emeritus of German, noted Chandor檚 problem-solving skills and acuity with the film production process even as an undergrad in an article in 黑料老司机 magazine in 2014. 淗e wrote the script, enlisted actors and technicians, and stuck to an ambitious production schedule,� said Figge. 淭he Art Department gave him a small office, which became his editing room. Somehow, he secured a Steenbeck professional editing table and holed up with it until the project was finished. He found himself minus a supporting actor, but � always prepared to find a solution � he played the part himself. I was astonished at his easy screen presence in the part.�

The showing of Margin Call at The Lyric is part of a collection of events during 黑料老司机檚 Reunion Weekend celebration May 28-31, when alumni will reconnect with classmates and the College.

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淚t檚 not typical to get an assistant stage management position in a main stage production as a first semester freshman,� Harvey said. 淚檇 done theater for many years, and I檓 a logistical minded person. I love a spreadsheet and a calendar, and the stage manager is a strategist, a leader, and the one in the room who wears 10 hats.�

The application process for USITT檚 Stage Management Mentorship Project (SMMP) is rigorous, with only a few selected to participate across the country. Harvey檚 professors provided encouragement that applying was the right choice. The mentorship experience at 黑料老司机 built a foundation that helped them prepare to take full advantage of the variety of opportunities in the program.

淧articipation in SMMP positions Andi at the forefront of industry trends and best practices,� said Naoko Skala, assistant professor of theatre and dance at 黑料老司机. 淚t provides unique, real-world learning experiences that are invaluable for professional growth, and Andi檚 experience will bring fresh perspectives and new skills back to campus, enriching the theatre and dance department and inspiring fellow students.�

The program took place during spring break this year, introducing Harvey to dozens of stage managers while working most intensively with a single mentor. They participated in a variety of discussions and practical event management during the conference. The opportunity allowed them to try their hand at managing components of the conference as well. Harvey was impressed by how the confidence gained from so much interaction with professional stage managers has already impacted their interactions on campus and thoughts about the future.

淚 took away a lot of soft skills, gaining confidence speaking with many new people,� Harvey said. 淲hen you檙e around individuals who are this accomplished and eloquent, you have to come with a level of flexibility and openness, which really helped me.�

In true 黑料老司机 fashion, the Independent Study that Harvey will begin this coming semester was top of mind while participating in SMMP. With their proposal for their I.S. focused on the unseen emotional labor in the work of stage management, Harvey was able to poll a diverse range of stage managers participating to see if a better understanding of emotional labor was a salient issue in the field.

淚檓 interested in organizational management and really want to know how theatre organizations can prevent burnout and prepare for the emotional labor aspect of the job,� Harvey said. 淓veryone I spoke to said they檇 had some experience with it, and that really cemented to me that this was something that needs to be studied.�

While Harvey isn檛 sure quite yet whether a professional theatre setting or more academic theatre work is in their future, the experience has created a wealth of contacts and connections. They plan to keep building upon the many stage management skills they檝e been learning during classwork and stage management roles at the College.

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淭he generous financial support from the State of Ohio for these students supports enrollment in 黑料老司机檚 exceptional STEM majors and makes their degree more affordable,� President Anne McCall said. 満诹侠纤净� faculty and staff guide students through real-world learning and mentored-research opportunities in our community and beyond, positioning the College to prepare students for successful careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health-related fields.�

黑料老司机 is one of 59 institutions to receive funding from this year檚 grants according the . 淥hio檚 future depends on preparing more students for the careers that are shaping our economy, and that starts with giving them the chance to pursue high-demand STEM fields,� Governor DeWine said in the announcement. 淐hoose Ohio First inspires more students to reach their full potential. It helps students discover their passion for opportunities in STEM and graduate ready to start a great career right here in Ohio.�

At 黑料老司机, STEM students engage in an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum, adding to their understanding of their field through insights into the arts, humanities, history, and social sciences. Every student participates in 黑料老司机檚 signature capstone research program, and more than 78% complete experiential learning opportunities, such as an internships, consulting, or research projects, above and beyond their I.S. Some of the community partners and companies across Ohio where students frequently engage in work-based learning opportunities supported 黑料老司机檚 application for the Choose Ohio First Scholarship including Schnieder Electric, Community Action of Wayne and Medina Counties, 黑料老司机 Brush Company, Camp Nuhop, and 黑料老司机 City School District. Through connections with area employers, 黑料老司机 students build their networks and graduate prepared to excel in both advanced study and the modern workforce, where adaptability, communication, and cross慸isciplinary thinking are increasingly essential.

Available to incoming students in 2027-28, 黑料老司机 majors supported by the program include biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, chemical physics, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, computer science, statistical and data sciences, earth sciences, environmental studies, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics, as well as education degrees and certificates with a STEM focus.

Featured image: Majoring in earth sciences and environmental studies Cady Eakins �25 interned at Akron Cooperative Farms as part of an APEX Fellowship, allowing her to make connections in her community and gain knowledge in agriculture and entomology.

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Chapter president Emily Armour ’95 opened the event which included recognition of student, faculty, and staff achievements, a look at the society檚 history, and the dedication of a centennial plaque. She then introduced Lisa Perfetti, College provost, who spoke about the significance of Phi Beta Kappa as the nation檚 oldest academic honor society and highlighted its commitment to the liberal arts. 听听

淭he three Greek initials; Phi (桅) Beta (螔) Kappa (螝), as you may well know, represent a motto: 楲ove of learning is the guide of life,櫇 Perfetti said. 淩egardless of whether we檙e just entering the Phi Beta Kappa fellowship or whether we檝e had decades of experience in this journey of intellectual discovery, let us all cherish the opportunity we have not only to be guided by love and wisdom but the opportunity and chance to have companions along the way.�听

The showcase featured Nurain Amier �26 and Abigail Reytblat �26, recipients of the 2026 Phi Beta Kappa Prize honored for their campus engagement and leadership who shared their I.S. research and took questions from the audience. Amier, majoring in biology and Chinese studies, researched historical treatments of influenza through an interdisciplinary approach of western and Chinese medicinal practices. Reytblat, a classical studies major and chemistry minor, studied cosmetics and perceptions of beauty in ancient Rome, interpreting themes of gender and identity in the Roman context. 听

Phi Beta Kappa听was听founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. It recognizes outstanding achievement in the liberal arts and sciences, with membership typically extended to top students in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.听The society听promotes intellectual curiosity, freedom of thought, and the value of a broad-based education.听Phi Beta Kappa檚 history at听黑料老司机听stretches back to 1902 with听activity from multiple听faculty members of the听society. The听College officially became the 105th chapter in the nation and the 10th in Ohio听in 1926.听Chapters exist at colleges and universities across the United States, and induction is considered one of the highest honors an undergraduate can receive.听

Faculty, staff, and alumni PBK members gathered for a group photo to mark the occasion.

PBK alumni participated including alumni speaker Niall W. Slater �76, former president of the national Phi Beta Kappa Society. Slater reflected on the organization檚 origins and encouraged the audience to value the pursuit of learning, bringing forward the visions of the organization檚 five student founders who gathered at College of William and Mary during the early days of the American Revolution. 淭he five young men at the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern, on Dec. 5, 1776, would not really have imagined what has evolved in 250 years,� Slater said. 淚 think they would be very proud and glad to be part of this occasion.�

The event concluded听with听黑料老司机 President听Anne McCall leading听the dedication of the centennial plaque.听An exhibit in the library lobby, organized by Rebecca Roper听�14, special collections librarian, featured materials from the chapter檚 history, including a 1926 commemorative certificate.听Faculty, staff, and alumni members of the association were recognized,听and attendees gathered for a group photo to mark the occasion.听

Featured image: Niall W. Slater �76, former president of the national Phi Beta Kappa Society, spoke at the event honoring 100 years of 黑料老司机 membership with the organization.

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With her opening remarks, President Anne McCall recognized the newest class of alumni and the process that guided them to the next chapter of their lives. 淲hile you traveled your own individual paths, linear in some respects, circuitous in others, you did not do so alone,� she said, acknowledging the 渄edicated mentors� and all the members of the College community who celebrated their successes and accomplishments. Sharing stories of alumni and the ways they have represented the College, pursued inquiry for the evolution of knowledge, supported each other amid challenging times, and given back to the College to inspire others, McCall encouraged the graduates to look ahead as their lives evolve: 淵ou will bring joy in sharing where life has taken you and in considering the myriad ways you can show your love to those coming after you at 黑料老司机.�

President McCall honored Jodi Nunnari �84 with an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the ceremony.

McCall honored Nunnari with an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the ceremony. Currently senior vice president, head of discovery science, and founding principal investigator at Altos Labs, Nunnari shared that at 黑料老司机 she 渇ound a launchpad� acknowledging the immediate opportunities she received to experiment with the unknown in the chemistry research labs alongside incredible mentors. 淭hey looked at a first-generation student and didn’t see what I lacked. They saw what I could become. They challenged me, guided me, and they believed in me.�

Nunnari remembered that after she graduated, 渢he 黑料老司机 network looked out for me yet again.� She completed her doctorate in pharmacology in the lab of another 黑料老司机 chemistry alumna Lee Limbird �70 at Vanderbilt University. 淯nder Lee檚 incredible scientific guidance and mentorship, the foundation I built here grew into a career in science that I could never have imagined.�

淲hat 黑料老司机 taught me was my motivation at the very foundation of me is derived from a love of advancement and breakthroughs,� Nunnari said. 淚 fell in love with focusing my mind on complex problems, the resilience I need to pivot when our hypotheses are wrong, and the profound satisfaction I experience when creating a new piece of knowledge.�

Nunnari noted how today檚 culture promotes shortcuts and avoiding friction but that growth comes from meeting resistance. 淵ou aren檛 born with resilience. You build it by tackling problems that don檛 have easy answers,� she said. She noted the graduates� achievement in completing 黑料老司机檚 senior capstone program, a button of achievement that alumni often reference in job and graduate school interviews. 淵ou are sitting here today because you have already encountered uncertainty. Your very training here at 黑料老司机 demands that you do that, and you檝e navigated through it. Your Independent Study is the ultimate proof of that.� Nunnari reminded them of that same 黑料老司机 network by charging them to: 淟ook at the friends who supported you when you were convinced your I.S. project made absolutely no sense. Look at the faculty who didn檛 just teach and grade you but treated you like a colleague, so you became one. Look at the families who carried you here. Feel deeply grateful to them. Gratitude actively rewires our brains to focus on what empowers us: transforming daily struggles into resilience.�

Saturday morning檚 ceremony also included multiple speakers from the graduating class. In the invocation, Stuart Franklin �26, president of the Jewish Student Organization and majoring in education and religious studies, set the tone that carried on throughout the morning saying, 淏ehind every graduate are mentors who have nurtured our curiosity, friends who have stood beside us through thick and thin, and loved ones whose endless sacrifices have paved the way for this journey.�

One of the speakers selected to represent the class, Josephine Fleischel �26, a global media and digital studies major said, 淲hat I will take most from 黑料老司机 is the importance of community.� An environmental geoscience major also selected from the class, Elliot Miller �26, added, 淩elationships have defined our experiences here at 黑料老司机. Whether that is faculty, coaches, family, classmates, or friends, these relationships have had profound impact toward the individuals we have become today; for we are who we are because of each other.�

Closing the ceremony, Lilly Ashe �26, a听communication sciences and disorders major and music minor, performed Miley Cyrus檚 淭he Climb� before President McCall issued final congratulations to the Class of 2026, and the pipers sent off the graduates in true 黑料老司机 fashion.

The Class of 2026 marched from Kauke Arch to Scot Center greeted by the faculty.

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teamed up again to present at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) 2026 International Conference. Their latest presentation focused on using AI chatbots as an element of reflective practice in teacher education. Megan Wereley �94, associate professor of education, Ryan Ozar, assistant professor of education, and Matthew Broda, Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Endowed Associate Professor of Education, are exploring how they might capitalize the learning value of chatbot configurations to allow their students (teacher candidates) to better understand the impact of their pedagogical choices.

淭he nature of scholarly work with AI is very collaborative, and the pace moves quickly,� said Wereley. 淭here’s a tremendous amount of interest and lots of discourse about strategies for using it.� The trio檚 first three publications focused on how AI significantly reduces the time investment for lesson planning and curriculum development where teachers are compiling structured ideas to address specific skills and meet requirements. AI also substantially increases personalization of the materials used to present lessons. Because of these benefits, Wereley and Ozar encourage teacher candidates to use AI to help create leveled reading passages (the same passage adjusted for different ability levels), design detailed rubrics, or establish behavior intervention plans, among other materials.

淭he teacher is still the driver, but AI gives them another tool to think about how to personalize learning for P-12 learners,� said Wereley. Ozar added, 淎I shines a light on how important it is to be good at human-based work. You can get really good materials, but to be really good, you have to be a human that can execute these lessons.�

Julia Struck �26, a senior in the primary (PK-5) licensure track, uses Magic School (an AI platform used by teachers for lesson planning) to create a lesson plan she used for teaching preschoolers as part of her senior I.S.

That檚 where the chatbot exploration comes in. Teacher candidates can practice executing their lessons in simulations with rule-based chatbots. The chatbots act as conversational partners that respond to prompts and help teacher candidates think through lesson planning or teaching decisions.

In 黑料老司机檚 Build-A-Bot Configuration Project, preservice teachers design and configure an AI chatbot to support a specific learning goal designed for their students. They define the instructional context, learner needs, and learning goals. Then they’ll develop instructions (configuration models) for their chatbot that drive how it will explain concepts, respond to confusion, and scaffold student thinking without simply giving answers. 淏y embedding these decisions into the bot檚 behavior, our teacher candidates will translate their pedagogical beliefs into concrete instructional choices,� explained Wereley. They’ll have opportunities to revise the bot as a way of reflecting on their teaching assumptions after simulated student interactions.

Another chatbot, designed by Broda, generates simulated classroom management scenarios across a range of grade levels and content areas. 黑料老司机 students are presented with a situation that requires them to determine how they would respond as the teacher. After proposing a strategy and explaining their rationale, the chatbot provides feedback that highlights strengths in their thinking while also raising possible concerns or alternative approaches to consider. Then at the end, the chatbot provides a summary of the teacher candidate檚 key strengths in managing the situation along with suggestions for continued growth.

While chatbots give teacher candidates initial feedback, Wereley emphasized that, 淚t檚 important for the AI strategies and conversations to be happening among researchers, administrators, and practitioners simultaneously about how theoretical ideas are actually experienced when they are operationalized in the classroom,� said Wereley. 淭he ideas need to be experienced among real kids in real classrooms to see what works best.�

The trio said they檒l continue to learn more about agentic AI and consider how it will start to replace textbooks or even operate alongside paraprofessionals in the classroom, as well as what that means for the field. Several members of the education department will also lead an Alumni College session at 黑料老司机檚 upcoming Reunion Weekend called 淒on’t Panic (but maybe learn to prompt)!� to share how 黑料老司机 is preparing teachers for the age of artificial intelligence. Presenting faculty include Wereley and Broda, along with Sarah Dunlap, director of field assessment and candidate engagement, Allison Neptune ’05, visiting assistant professor of education, and Gretchen Tefs, visiting instructor of education.

Featured image: Brooke Johnson �27, a junior in the primary (PK-5) licensure track presents pre/post assessment data she generated as part of her final project for a Curriculum Methods and Assessment in Primary (P-5) Education听course where she taught a series of lessons and measured their impact on student learning.

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Alongside Mark Snider, Robert E. Wilson Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, BCMB majors presented results of their research projects (from Independent Study and sophomore research) at the in Washington, D.C. The following students presented this year: Jacob Enzman �26, Charlie Cuttino �26, Caley Sherrill �26, Faiyaz Hasan �26, Frederick Pytel �27, Noah Lanyi-Lari �27 (BCMB majors), and Aneesh Pant �27 (BCMB and statistical & data sciences major). In addition, Lanyi-Lari was chosen to participate in the national ASBMB undergraduate research poster competition.

Professor Mark Snider and seven 黑料老司机 students attended the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Washington, D.C

The College boasts a long history of strong representation and award-winning undergraduate research at the national ASBMB meeting and other national conferences, with Snider taking 24 research students to present posters in the past five years alone.

Meanwhile on the west coast, four students traveled to Vancouver, Canada for the . Accompanied by Grit Herzmann, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, students Alexis Kulin �26, Lilly Moody �26 (neuroscience majors), Jacob Hankin �26 (neuroscience and music major), and Hannah Reinicke �26 (psychology and music major) attended or presented posters based on their I.S. research.

淚 pre-select students who I think will have high-quality projects by spring,� explained Herzmann. 淚t檚 a mix of having a publication-eligible project, which is a higher level than what I typically impose on I.S. projects and preparedness of the student to put in the extra work.� She said the typical March or April timing of the CNS meeting is ideal because it allows for students to complete intensive work on I.S. and showcase it on an international stage.

Both Herzmann and Snider said their undergraduates are often mistaken for graduate students because of the depth and clarity of their presentations. 淥ur students’ engagement in research is unique because they design much of the project themselves and thus have great ownership and understanding. That level of scholarship shines when they present their novel discoveries to the scientific communities,� said Snider.

To be considered for this opportunity, Snider檚 students had to have their research results by November to write and submit an abstract summary later that month. ASBMB chose the abstracts for the presentations, and one student was chosen to participate in the undergraduate research poster competition.

Students funded the trip through a variety of sources including 黑料老司机檚 Center for Advising, Planning, and Experiential Learning (APEX), the STEM Success Initiative (SSI), or endowed departmental funds.

淎ttending research-focused conferences allows students to dip their toes into the water of graduate school and research as a profession,� noted Herzmann, adding that students felt empowered by connecting with leading scientists and sales representatives.

For Noah Lanyi-Lari �27, one of the most valuable parts of the experience was discussing his work with researchers who approach similar problems from different angles, especially those working in structural biology and molecular dynamics. 淭hose conversations gave me new perspectives on how to interpret and extend my results,� said Lanyi-Lari. 淧resenting my research helped me develop my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, which is an essential skill in both graduate study and scientific careers.� To boost those skills further this summer, Lanyi-Lari plans to participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Kansas, working in structural biology and gaining experience with techniques like X-ray crystallography.

Featured image: Lilly Moody �26, a neuroscience major was among the students presenting her research at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver.

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