Brevard College marked a major academic milestone with its Undergraduate Research Conference held on Saturday, April 25, a campus-wide celebration showcasing the work of more than 60 students. The event featured a wide range of presentations spanning the breadth of the College’s undergraduate academic programs.
“The work of the students on display at the inaugural Undergraduate Research Conference was tremendous,” said Dr. Bradley J Andrews, president of Brevard College. “The profound influence of our faculty on the intellectual and creative development of our students was evident throughout the event. With admiration and appreciation, I am grateful to the students, faculty and staff whose hard work and collaboration made this inaugural conference a meaningful success for our campus community.”
The conference underscored not only the strength of student research, but also the hands-on mentorship and experiential learning that shape the Brevard College student experience. By working closely with their faculty, students produced work that combined academic depth with clear, confident presentation – reflecting the College’s experiential, liberal arts education.
“Our launch of the inaugural Undergraduate Research Conference was a smashing success,” said Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, Brevard College vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty. “It was evident from the quantity and quality of the presentations that our students combined scholarship and research with practiced, clear delivery. Furthermore, this conference demonstrated how strong student-faculty relationships at Brevard College lead to meaningful student success.”
In total, the conference featured 35 oral presentations, 22 poster presentations and nine artistic presentations. Winners were announced at the conclusion of the event, with awardees receiving cash prizes and plaques.
Hannah Sonneberg received the Outstanding Artistic Presentation award for “Exploring Borne’s Carmen Fantasy.” Olivia Ervin earned honorable mention in artistic presentation for “The Love of L’Histoire: An Examination and Performance of Multi-Percussion through the 20th Century.”
The poster “Classifications of Microplastics: IR Spectroscopy and Turbidity Method Development” by Zoe Herber won Outstanding Poster Presentation. Amelia Payne received honorable mention for “The Queer History of Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance.”
Outstanding Oral Presentation was awarded to Martin Moguel Aguilar for “Sports, Spectacle & Statecraft: How Mexico Used Sports to Sustain Its Perfect Dictatorship”. Honorable mentions in oral presentation were awarded to Joy Yousef for “Senior Internship at BenchMark and Fyzical Reflection” and Sevi Smith for “Music and Psychology: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Special Education.”
The inaugural General Education Reflection Awards were presented to Angelena Martino and Madeleine Pollock, with Julia Lusk receiving honorable mention, for their reflections on how Brevard College’s general education curriculum has shaped their intellectual development, personal growth, and preparation for life after college. Additionally, the inaugural General Education Faculty Service Award was bestowed upon Dr. James Everett, associate professor of English.
More than half of the Brevard College faculty participated in the event in advising and coordinating roles, with Dr. Jordan Kuck and Dr. Sarah Maveety serving as co-chairs of the research conference’s 10-member planning committee.
“The inaugural Brevard College Undergraduate Research Conference was unquestionably one of the best moments in my career,” said Dr. Kuck. “To see such high-quality work from our students – and so many faculty members and staff in attendance – was the kind of environment that embodies the spirit and intellectual vibrancy of a liberal arts college. I can’t wait for next year’s event.”
“This event was a success due to the strong community at Brevard College: the collaborative efforts of students, staff and faculty leading up to and during the conference were genuinely impressive,” added Dr. Maveety. “It was such a delight to watch it all unfold.”
2026 Undergraduate Research Conference Award Winners
Outstanding Artistic Presentation: Hannah Sonnenberg (senior, music), “Exploring Borne’s Carmen Fantasy”
Honorable Mention Artistic Presentation: Olivia Ervin (senior, music), “The Love of L’Histoire: An Examination and Performance of Multi-Percussion through the 20th Century”
Outstanding Poster Presentation: Zoe Herber (junior, chemistry/environmental studies), “Classifications of Microplastics: IR Spectroscopy and Turbidity Method Development.”
Honorable Mention Poster Presentation: Amelia Payne (senior, music), “The Queer History of Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance”
Outstanding Oral Presentation: Martin Moguel Aguilar (senior, communication/history), “Sports, Spectacle, & Statecraft: How Mexico Used Sports to Sustain Its Perfect Dictatorship”
Honorable Mention Oral Presentation: Joy Yousef (senior, exercise science), “Senior Internship at BenchMark and Fyzical Reflection”
Honorable Mention Oral Presentation: Sevi Smith (senior, music/psychology), “Music and Psychology: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Special Education”
General Education Reflection Awards: Angelena Martino (senior, history), Madeleine Pollock (junior, communication/english)
General Education Reflection Honorable Mention: Julia Lusk (graduate, art teacher licensure)
General Education Faculty Service Award: Dr. James Everett
Student Presentation Participants
Musical Performances
Olivia Ervin
Amelia Payne
Sevasti Smith
Hannah Sonnenberg
Film Presentations
Camile Bonnin
Gallery Talks
Nicole Bradbury
Rachel Cooke
Mia Diaz
David Phillips
Poster Presentations
Jolize Beukman
Lyric Contarino
Summer Crist
Zoe Herber
Amberlyn Hernandez
Evy Higdon
Kylie Katcher & Ivelysse Leighton
Karis King
Kelly Lawson
Kayleigh Marr & Wyatt Harsha
Angie Martino
Elias Murray with Bee Fulton & April Lee
Amelia Payne
Ariel Podlogar
Louise Rodrigues
Imani Singleton
Kyla Smith-Fondall, Tyler Mangrum, Emerson Peck & Kayla Philbrick
Marcella Steele
Lillie Teague
Tristan Troutman
Kamren Washington
Regan Winkler with Alyssa Boris, Victoria Sylvester & Chelsea Fritog
Oral Presentations
Savannah Anderson
Chloe Banner
Alexander Bolton
Juan Chavez
Summer Crist
Malik Graham
David Hoyle
Libby Huffman
Zoe Hughes
Aidan Kearns
Tyler Mangrum
Angie Martino
Elise McIntosh
Martin Moguel Aguilar
Emma Murray
Emerson Peck
Roxxanne Petryshak
Kayla Philbrick
Madeleine Pollock
Rowyn Roberts
Etta-Leigh Rose
Liam Smith
Matthew Smith
Sevi Smith
Jane Steele
Avalon Sweet
Victoria Sylvester
Signe Thorsen
Ava Thrift
Elissabeth Tinsley
Mary Grace Vallentine
Courtney Wall
Rebecca Webb
Liliana White
Joy Yousef
Brevard College is committed to an experiential liberal arts education that encourages personal growth and inspires artistic, intellectual, and social action.