April 7th, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WMUL-FM) — Marshall’s Student Research and Creativity Symposium gave students the opportunity to showcase their talents and hard work to an audience.
The event, which was on April 2 at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation and April 3 at the Memorial Student Center, helped “contribute to the continuing growth of Marshall as a R-2 research university,” according to the Marshall University Events Calendar. Also, this event also demonstrates “how our students’ accomplishments can contribute to the economy and quality of life of our intellectual and business community,” the listing continued.
Students presented many projects focusing on scientific research, like production of carbon nanotubes, benefits of continuous glucose monitoring and railway crack detection using machine learning, and on the arts and popular culture, like exploring expression through multimedia artwork, using AI in journalism and examining hate crime in media.
In the project “Fluid Impressions: Exploring Expression Through Multimedia Artwork”, Isa McMullen wanted to show uncomfortability to the viewer and examine the human body. “Spending many of my formative years in the Deep South and Appalachia introduced curiosity about the way religion and censorship connect with modernity, specifically queer bodies,” McMullen’s abstract said.
The project “What do you like to eat?” explores the concept of ecofeminism, a political and intellectual
movement that links the oppression of women and the degradation of the environment to the patriarchy, and naturalism relating to politics, culture and author Ryann Province’s own experiences.
In her abstract, she spoke about how this topic has always fascinated her. “The notion of ‘naturalism’ as it relates to women, feminism, gender studies and, in some ways, queer theory is of great intrigue to me, especially as a queer woman,” Province said.
The project “Examining Hate Crimes in Media: The Murder of Ahmaud Arbery” analyzes different reports after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. “This research is a content analysis that examined media reports following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery by pulling articles in the local newspaper, The Brunswick News,” author Ben McElroy said in his abstract.