From turtle populations to the dangers of screen addiction, Liberty students showcase projects during annual Research Week

Hundreds of Liberty University students presented research April 22-24 at the Jerry Falwell Library during the university’s annual Research Week.

Open to both undergraduate and graduate students in Liberty’s residential and online programs, Research Week is a multidisciplinary event hosted by the Jerry Falwell Library. What began as separate undergraduate and graduate research symposia in 2014 was combined in 2017 into one grand annual event: Research Week. This annual event is designed to highlight excellent research and scholarship produced by Liberty students. This year’s event included 347 presentations across a variety of disciplines.

“Research Week is an important opportunity for Liberty University students to demonstrate the wide variety of research projects which they are pursuing while also clearly articulating how that research connects with a biblical worldview,” said Jeremy McGinniss, associate dean of research, instruction, and collections. “By showcasing this breadth, hopefully other students will be encouraged to pursue their own research, demonstrating its connection to the created order.”

While Research Week is a competition across multiple categories for awards, it is also a chance for students to gain practical research and presentation skills for their future careers. Senior forensics science student Anna Sommerville, who also previously presented at the American Academy of Forensic Science Conference, showcased her findings of a study on various gun casings with unknown origins. Beginning last May as part of Liberty’s ASSURE program, Sommerville was tasked with examining and classifying hundreds of bullet casings donated to the forensic science program.

“All forensic science jobs love to look for research and experience; that automatically sets you apart because forensics is a really competitive field,” Sommerville said. “Presenting at Research Week makes you a lot more marketable, and it gives you a lot more experience for any entry-level or graduate position. This definitely helps me get my foot in the door for this discipline.”

Sommerville’s poster presentation was one of many on display in the library’s terrace level throughout the week, including research from nursing senior Emily Vernon on the effects of pediatric cancer on family members.

“There’s a lot of information on how cancer affects the pediatric patient and their parents, but there’s very little that exists about the healthy siblings, so I identified that as a gap in the literature, and I wanted to see what we can do better as nurses to support everybody,’ she said.

Vernon, whose mother was diagnosed with cancer while she was in high school, said about 71% of parents of pediatric cancer patients attested to having no form of support for the healthy siblings of the patient. She emphasized the need for better mental health services and screenings for this people group and awareness of the psychological and developmental impact of having a sibling with cancer.

General biology senior Joshua Sorenson, alongside his peers Ariana Cardenas, Tate Gardner, and Paul Sattler, conducted a population characteristic study on the freshwater turtles in Lake Hydaway at Liberty’s Hydaway Outdoor Center during the lake’s recent expansion. The team set out hoop nets in the lake and checked them daily, measuring and marking each turtle in order to track their progress. Through this study, they found the rough total population estimate of the turtles in the lake was 298 eastern painted turtles and 96 red-bellied cooter turtles.

“We hope people will continue this work in the future by continuing to monitor these turtles, seeing how this expansion affects them, and hopefully the population will continue to grow,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson originally started this research as a petition and as his thesis in the honors program. Research Week was a way to present his findings to the Liberty community.

“Research Week has really helped me learn how to present in a public capacity, which is important for my line of work, and how to analyze data and present research,” he said.

In addition to the poster presentations, many students gave oral presentations, including in performing arts. Graduate student Lindsay Anton performed a theatrical poetry piece titled “Power On,” which advocated against the screen addiction of elderly adults.

Anton’s research found that older adults, ages 65 and above, are spending over 10 hours a day on screens, which can result in digital dementia and other cognitive and behavioral risks. Her theatrical performance brought her research findings to life, showcasing a character undergoing the fight against screen addiction. Her performance featured multiple points of view, including a personification of technology and that of a daughter of the main character.

“This performance piece contributes to the discipline of performance and communication by effectively using storytelling, research, and a call to action,” Anton said. “This piece demonstrates the potential of performance as a tool for social advocacy and education; it shows how the art of communication can be a powerful force for change and awareness in society.”

Anton will be graduating next month with an M.A. in Professional Communication: Critical/Influential Communication.

While students remain the focal point of Research Week, the event also requires the involvement of many faculty and staff members.

“Research Week relies upon faculty sponsors who support students through the research process as well as faculty judges to score and give feedback about the research projects,” McGinniss said. “Research Week is an exciting time for Liberty University to come together and collectively learn from and support student research.”

Sport management Professor Dr. Clark Zealand mentored eleven groups (totaling 50 students) of undergraduate students and four groups of graduate students.

“Walking alongside these students as they developed and refined their projects, many for the first time, was a rewarding experience,” he said. “Research Week offers a unique opportunity for students to synthesize their academic training into a focused project, and faculty involvement is critical in guiding them through the complexities of design, methodology, and communication. Our hands-on mentorship ensures that students are not just learning about research, they are doing research in a meaningful and professional context.”

The Research Week awards ceremony will take place in the Jerry Falwell Library at 10:30 a.m. on April 30. This article will be updated with the winners at that time.