Your student’s work takes centerstage at NWU’s annual Student Symposium

by Meghan Winchell

The end of the academic year is the time to celebrate our students’ academic achievements. Nebraska Wesleyan University’s “Student Symposium: Celebrating Research and Creative Endeavor” is April 29. 

We dismiss all undergraduate classes that day so everyone can explore their classmates’ research and creative work. This year’s 200+ presentations include a student-produced film festival, a visual gallery walk, and musical performances featuring world drumming. It’s something your student shouldn’t miss! 

NWU’s Student-Faculty Collaborative Research and Creative Endeavors Program gives students the opportunity to partner with their professors in scholarly work. The university makes funding available for projects across all academic disciplines. 

This year, NWU funded collaborative research on anatomical palpation education, risk factors for academic burnout, and the connection between creativity and social connectedness, among other projects. Students also received funds to attend professional conferences in Kansas City, Mo.; Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; and Denver, Colo. Funds also supported international projects in the U.K. and Egypt. 

Experiences like these often help propel Nebraska Wesleyan students to pursue new opportunities in their fields. Professors Cathy Nelson and Karla Jensen coordinate NWU’s Prestigious Scholarship Program. They lead a team of professors who mentor Nebraska Wesleyan students through the process of identifying and pursuing these competitive scholarships. In recent years, NWU has been on the top-producer list for Fulbright Fellowships and Gilman Scholarships among small colleges. Stay tuned for announcements in the next few weeks! 

Nebraska Wesleyan faculty also lead by example with their own scholarly accomplishments. Here are a few recent notable examples. 

• Associate Professor of Biology Gary Gerald was lead author on a project examining the effects of leg autotomy on running speeds in cellar spiders, published in the Journal of Zoology.
• Professor of History Sandra Mathews coauthored revisions to the 4th, 7th, and 9th grade New Mexico history textbooks, which will be published by the University of New Mexico Press in 2028.
• Associate Professor of Religion Jonathan Redding authored Daniel Reconstructed: Reading, Preaching, and Teaching with Fresh Eyes, which was published by Baylor University Press. 
• Associate Professor of Music John Spilker-Beed delivered a presentation on music and racial justice at the Society for American Music’s conference, “Sounding the Nation at 250 

Encourage your student to attend the Student Symposium on April 29. Select students will receive awards in categories such as Biggest Social Impact, Excellence in Applied Research, and The Human Experience Award. Look for the names of those award winners and others on social media following the event.

Meghan Winchell is associate provost of integrative and experiential learning.