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There is no question that students at ������ý��Ƶ�����ƹۿ� work hard, and on Thursday, April 20 , they will show off the products of their academic and artistic endeavors at the annual Research and Creative Accomplishments Symposium, the 17th Annual Sigma Xi Presentation and the Senior Nurses Capstone Presentation. The Symposium will be held in the Barone Campus Center from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.

Open to both full- and part-time students enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate programs at Fairfield, the Research Symposium offers students from a variety of academic disciplines the opportunity to share their projects with the entire campus community. These projects, completed under the guidance and supervision of a faculty or staff member, take a range of forms, from traditional research papers and projects to innovative art exhibitions and performances. Some of the projects are funded by scholarships including the Lawrence and Hardiman scholarship.

With the Symposium showcasing the joint efforts of students and faculty, Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president for Academic Affairs, shares that it is this type of collaboration that makes Fairfield unique.

“This University-wide Research Symposium is a stellar example of the ‘value added’ of a ������ý��Ƶ�����ƹۿ� education,” she said. “������ý��Ƶ�����ƹۿ� values the close mentoring experiences we afford our students and the Research Symposium provides our students the opportunity to take their place as valued junior colleagues with their faculty advisors in the fields of study they pursue.”

The day will be separated into four sessions that run throughout the day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Undergraduates representing all Schools will present their research scholarship and independent projects from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on level 2 of the BCC. From 2 to 4 p.m., senior nursing students will present their capstones on transitioning into professional nursing on Level 2 of the BCC.

Sigma Xi, the national scientific research honor society, will hold their presentations in the lower level of the BCC from 3 to 5 p.m., with students presenting projects in the fields of biology, chemistry and biochemistry, engineering, health studies, mathematics, physics and psychology. Graduate students will conclude the day, delivering their research presentations between 5 and 7 p.m. on Level 2 of the BCC.

Participating in the undergraduate session of the Research Symposium is Nicole Funaro ’17 who will be presenting her project that promotes media literacy and explains fake news. A communication major with minors in journalism and public relations, Nicole said her project — a series of journalistic articles on the — tries to merge her studies in communication theory and journalism in order to help Fairfield students be savvy media consumers.

“Along with my advisor, Dr. Sallyanne Ryan, we were inspired to combat fake journalism with real journalism by investigating media literacy skills and communication theories and putting them into action in a way that teaches readers how to avoid the trappings of false information,” she said. “I learn something new every day working on this project, and collaborating with Dr. Ryan has been one of the highlights of my time at Fairfield.”

The entire University community is invited to attend the Research Symposium on April 20 to celebrate our students' academic accomplishments and to support their scholastic pursuits.