SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. — Penn State Schuylkill held its spring Student Research and Scholarship Conference via Zoom on Friday, April 9. Fourteen undergraduate students — some working in teams and others embarking on multiple projects — presented their original research projects in a variety of disciplines, including social sciences, history, physics and more. Topics ranged from the synthesis of novel chemical compounds to analyses of historical and cultural topics and important societal issues.
At the conference’s conclusion, four of these scholars were invited to submit their work for consideration to present at the Penn State Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium. Three students — Jeffrey Alloway, Grace Muench, and Corinne Ellis — submitted their research for consideration and will present at this annual event hosted virtually this year.
Penn State Schuylkill’s spring semester undergraduate research presentations included:
- "Comparing Viewpoints of the Burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania by the Confederates During the Civil War," Jeffrey Alloway, 2024, (faculty adviser: Harold Aurand)
- "Commissioning of the PASCO Cavendish Apparatus," Jeffrey Alloway, 2024, and Michael Johnson-Ponce, 2025, (faculty adviser: Michael Gallis)
- "Child Abuse and Neglect," Saidah Burke, 2026, (faculty adviser: Juyoung Song)
- "Socially Constructing America: A Rhetorical Analysis of Trump’s and Biden’s Facebook Posts During the 2020 Election," Corinne Ellis, 2024, (faculty adviser: Valerie Schrader)
- "Nest Success and Nest Site Characterization in Gray Catbirds," Bethany Hollenbush, 2024, (faculty adviser: Lucas Redmond)
- "Synthesis of Low- and High-Density Polyethylene and How Difficulties in Decomposition Contribute to Pollution," Lexi Johns ’24 (faculty advisor: Lee Silverberg)
- Ethics of Punishment and Corrections, Saige Lowe, 2024, (faculty adviser: Juyoung Song)
- "Antifungal Testing Via the Synthesis of Organic Compounds," Madison Meyer, 2021, (faculty adviser: Lee Silverberg)
- "Synthesis of Sulfoxides from 2,3-diphenyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-thiaza-4-ones," Grace Muench, 2025 (faculty adviser: Lee Silverberg)
- "The Understanding of Greek and Hittite Mythology," Johalana Najunas, 2025 (faculty adviser: Harold Aurand)
- "An Analysis of 2020 Presidential Election Facebook Posts Through Gronbeck’s Political Rhetoric Concepts," Colleen Reed, 2024 (Faculty adviser: Valerie Schrader)
- "Stigma Management in 'Dragula,'" Colleen Reed, 2024 (faculty adviser: Pamela Black)
- "Deviating from Hooke’s Law with Rubber Band Bungee Jumping," Caleb Reedy, 2026, and Jonathan Stacey, 2025 (faculty adviser: Michael Gallis)
- "Dungeons and Dragons: A Historical Journey," Maddie Throne, 2025 (faculty adviser: Harold Aurand)
The students’ full presentations are available to view here.
Penn State Schuylkill’s Director of Academic Affairs Darcy L. Medica said, “Our students are incredibly engaged in research -- original research of their own, as well as research that they conduct alongside their dedicated faculty members. This event always showcases the rich research community that we have on campus.”
Students who wish to present their research at future conferences may contact Juyoung Song, assistant professor of criminal justice and coordinator of the Student Research and Scholarship Conference, at [email protected].