2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium

By Charlotte Slomkowski (MA in History student)

 

Eastern Michigan University hosted its 45th Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS) on March 28, 2025. This year, there were 31 student presentations in History, Religious Studies, and Jewish Studies. 2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium logo

The UGRS was created to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to present information about some of their exemplary work they have created during their time at EMU. The event includes students from across the university’s five colleges to present their work through oral presentations or poster presentations. 

This year, there were 240 project presentations, including 121 oral and 90 poster presentations at the UGRS. Sessions lasted from 9:00am until 4:15pm. In the middle of the presentations, students and their faculty advisers were invited to a luncheon during which awards were given out. The luncheon also included the keynote address by Nino C. Monea, an EMU alumnus who teaches at Stetson University College of Law and who serves as a trial defense attorney in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Below are the titles of the 31 presentations delivered at the 2025 UGRS by students in History, Religious Studies, and Jewish Studies.

  • Anna Bennett, “Consequences of the Beecher-Tilton Scandal on the 1874 Michigan Women’s Enfranchisement Referendum” (John Wegner, faculty mentor)
  • Ella Bennett, “History of Seeing Eye Dogs: An Art Showcase” (Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor) 
  • Micah Bookout, “Memory in the Motor City: Acknowledging the Shoah in Discussions in Detroit’s Jewish Community” (Robert Erlewine, faculty mentor)
  • Abigayle Breitner, “May-Day on the Green: A Celebration of Femininity and Culture at Michigan State Normal College” (Matt Jones, faculty mentor)
  • Abigayle Breitner,“Algeria and Its Loss: The Effects of French Invasion Through Poem and Prose” (Fredrick Walter Lorenz, faculty mentor) 
  • Sara Christian,“World War II and the Nigerian Palm Oil Industry: Gendering the Wartime Production Drive” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor)
  • Una Conley, “The Harsh Treatment of the Polish People Under Nazi Occupation” (Steven Ramold, faculty mentor)
  • Lukas Gebhardt, “Friendly Ally: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jewish Community, 1901-1909” (Jeffrey L. Bernstein, faculty mentor)
  • Alaiyah Gordon, “Negro Health Week and the Role of Women” (Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, faculty mentor) 
  • Madeline Guilbault, “Environmental Transformation of Isle Royale, Michigan” (Richard Nation, faculty mentor)
  • Rebecca Hall, “The Burden of Disease: Malaria in Africa” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor) 
  • John Harm, “Divine Kingship: Rituals for Power in Ancient Egypt” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor) 
  • Andrew Hengy, “The Airborne Disease: Operation Mercury, Crete, and the Fate of the Fallschirmjägers” (Steven Ramold, faculty mentor)
  • Erika Holmberg, “The Asante Empire: Intersection between the Economy and Society, 1700-1900” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty member)
  • Seoungmin Hong, “Royal Authority and Depictions of Commoners in Pre-colonial Benin Sculptures” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor)
  • Jacob Kenworthy,“The Virginius Affair” (John Wegner, faculty mentor)
  • Ash Nichols,“The Media’s Impact on The Civil Rights Movement” (John Wegner, faculty mentor) 
  • Daniel Obiagbaoso, “Silver from the Americas, Crisis for the World: Colonial Silver, Inflation, and Global Change” (Mary Strasma, faculty mentor)
  • Nicholas O’Donnell,“Prayer and Meditation: A Congruence between Psychology and Science” (Mark Whitters, faculty mentor)
  • Chloe Ogden, “The Swahili Coast, 500-900 CE: Toward an Afro-centric History of Zanzibar” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor)
  • Korinn Perron, “Ancient Athens: Should Athenian Women Be Able to Serve as Jurors and Assemblymen?” (Mark Whitters, faculty mentor)
  • Jacob Quattro, “The Exploitation of Africa’s Strategic Minerals during the Second World War” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor)
  • Liam Reidy,“Religion and the State in the Empire of Ghana: A Double-Edged Sword?” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor)
  • Liam Reidy, “The Economics of Slavery in Athens in the 4th and 5th Century BCE” (Mark Whitters, faculty mentor) 
  • Jenna Roush,“Who Was Rosie the Riveter?” (Steven Ramold, faculty mentor)
  • Beck Skiba-Thayer, “The Failures of Eastern Michigan University’s Basic Education Development Program in the Yemen Arab Republic” (David Matt Jones, faculty mentor) 
  • Chris Souheaver,“Rwanda 30 Years After Genocide: The Trauma and Resilience of Women Survivors” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor) 
  • Hariharasudhan Sridharan (Harish), “The Balance and Order: A Malthusian’s Perspective on Societal Roles and Responsibilities” (Mark Whitters, faculty mentor) 
  • Cassidy Whitton, “Rwandan Genocide: Female Genocidaires Exposed!” (Joseph Engwenyu, faculty mentor) 
  • Sandra Zeia, “The English Sweat Epidemic” (John Wegner, faculty mentor) 
  • Jack Zelazny, “Understanding the First Citizen: Periclean Influence on the Peloponnesian War” (Mark Whitters, faculty mentor)