0 Student and professor standing by poster presentation at Penn-York Research Conference.

°®ÒºAƬ Hosts Regional Research Conference Showcasing Student Excellence

December 11, 2024

°®ÒºAƬ welcomed students and faculty from five regional institutions for the 2024 Penn-York Undergraduate Research Conference. The event, co-chaired by °®ÒºAƬ faculty Mark Borchert, Ph.D. and Laurie Dashnau, Ph.D., demonstrated the University’s ongoing commitment to undergraduate research.

Regional Collaboration

The November gathering brought 35 students and 10 faculty members to °®ÒºAƬ’s campus, representing Alfred University, St. Bonaventure University, PennWest University, St. John Fisher University and University of Pitt-Bradford. °®ÒºAƬ’s Eli Knapp, Ph.D. delivered the keynote address, “Shacking Up with [Aldo] Leopold: Research as the Ultimate Inclusive Sport.”

Student Presentations

Five °®ÒºAƬ scholars presented groundbreaking research across diverse fields:

  • Isaac Gasparri ’26 explored AI language models in mathematics education with “Comparative Analysis of LLMs for Math Education”
  • Ashleigh Gossman ’26 investigated ChatGPT trust and usage patterns with “Survey on Trust, Opinions, and Use of Chat GPT”
  • Ethan McCarthy ’25 analyzed religious changes in England with “The Division and Decline of Established Religion in England”
  • Zach Roussie ’25 examined historical labor movements with “Shock Troops for the New Deal: The Amalgamated Clothing Workers in Rochester, New York, 1929-1939”
  • Will Tormey ’24 studied environmental impacts on local fish species with “Presence of Black-Spot Disease (Uvulifier ambloplitis) in Genesee Water Fish Species”

The presentations showcased the depth and variety of undergraduate research opportunities available at °®ÒºAƬ, where students work closely with faculty mentors to pursue their academic interests.

“Participating in the post-pandemic revival of this conference—which °®ÒºAƬ has been affiliated with since 2005 and which last occurred virtually in 2020—was extremely gratifying,” remarked Dashnau. “We already are looking forward to taking many °®ÒºAƬ students to next year’s conference, which will be hosted at the University of Pennsylvania at Bradford.”

Presentation with °®ÒºAƬ Student
Lecture at houghton

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