蘑菇短视频

蘑菇短视频鈥檚 annual Research and Scholarship Conference is fast approaching. 

This year's event will be the largest ever, with the Research Exposition and Symposium featuring over 200 presentations, spanning undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty.

The first day's events will begin on Wednesday, March 25, with the oral presentations in the AK. Hinds University Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  , and from across all disciplines will present their scholarly research, broken out into rooms based on research area.  Several will be held in the Coulter Recital Hall in a dedicated session from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

An event that already is inclusive of all disciplines, students, and faculty will expand its scope even further this year. For the first time, faculty will be included in both the oral and poster presentations.  Following the oral performance presentations, the rest of the day's events will be held at the Ramsey Center Arena.

At 5 p.m., the Keynote Address will take place on the stage within the arena.  This year, the Keynote Address will take the form of a faculty panel titled 鈥淗elene鈥檚 Lessons: Interdisciplinary Research by 蘑菇短视频Faculty.鈥�  Five 蘑菇短视频professors who conducted research in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene will engage in a discussion moderated by the Associate Provost of Academic Affairs, Carmen Huffman. 

The panel will be made up of Katie Schneider and Diane Styers from the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources, Andy Hansen and Sarah Jackson from the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Chase Harless from Social Work.  The panel will cover topics ranging from state and local law enforcement practices, high water mark and flood mapping, community response to the storm, and the post-disaster toll on the mental health in families in the region.

The day will culminate on the concourse of the Ramsey Center with the annual Research Exposition and Symposium, which will take place following the Keynote Panel and will include and poster presentations from , , and students.  Here attendees will have the opportunity to view posters and visual aids depicting student and faculty research.  It is a good opportunity to interact one-on-one with all levels of researchers on WCU鈥檚 campus and learn how research has enriched not just the various disciplines, but the academic lives of the student body.  The Celebration Reception will take place simultaneously with food and refreshments provided.

The Poster Presentations that will follow the Keynote Panel embody the breadth of WCU鈥檚 research community, yet there will be a special emphasis on research done in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and how 蘑菇短视频faculty and students' scholarly endeavors have benefited the community and the region.

Ben Davis, an undergraduate student receiving his degree in psychology, conducted research on the psychological effects working individuals underwent while living through a natural disaster.  Davis watched people he knew lose homes and close family members, and they had to return to work shortly after these losses.  Ben said that he hopes his research 鈥渃ould help inform future systems of support for people in crisis situations. Which would hopefully allow more effective coping and enhance the recovery process.鈥�

Another student who conducted Helene research is Jack Berfield, a graduate student working towards his master鈥檚 in social work. His research centered on the significance of neighborhood bonds in social responses and resilience to natural disasters. 鈥淚 completed my first-year practicum working alongside community members in a small town in Mitchell County recovering from Hurricane Helene,鈥� Berfield said.  鈥淓ach disaster environment is unique, and each community responds to disaster in their own ways.鈥�  Berfield hopes that his research can help social workers prepare for the ever-changing challenges faced when doing the work of disaster preparation and recovery.

The next day, on March 26, the annual Faculty Scholarship Celebration will take place in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grand Room from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This will kick off with the 5th Annual where 11 faculty will be competing for the coveted first-place trophy.

The event will continue with the Faculty Scholarship Celebration Luncheon and an awards presentation where recipients of the Million Dollar Circle, Hunter Scholar, and the Provost鈥檚 Scholarship Development Awards will be recognized. The purpose of Thursday鈥檚 events are to highlight faculty research and scholarly excellence.

RASC is sponsored by the 蘑菇短视频Graduate School and Research, the Office of the Provost, Hunter Library and the Brinson Honors College.

The keynote panel and other aspects of the conference are supported by a $5,000 grant from the UNC System Office obtained by Suzanne Melton, Research Programs Coordinator in the Office of Research Administration. Melton is also the coordinator for WCU鈥檚 annual RASC. This grant, titled 鈥淯ndergraduate Research Support Award,鈥� will help offset the costs of the panel, undergraduate poster printing expenses, and fund awards for the undergraduate research poster competition.

RASC highlights WCU鈥檚 commitment to support and encourage research and scholarship activities of students and faculty.  Everyone gets the chance to share the research they鈥檝e spent months or even years working on in a community that celebrates their efforts. All events listed above are open to the public with free admission.

For more information and the event schedule, visit the program website,