Juniors and seniors in Creighton’s Honors Program presented their research projects during the 18th annual Honors Day on Wednesday.
Every spring, Creighton hosts its annual Honors Day, where juniors and seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program present their contribution to research in their major or minor field of study.
The event went from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Ahmanson Ballroom, located on the 4th floor of the Harper Center.
“This is our first year we’ve had it live in two years because of the pandemic,” said Erin Averett, associate director of the Honors Program.
The event was split into three sessions, each with oral and poster presentations, along with a 20 minute closing ceremony.
According to Creighton’s website, “Honors Day celebrates the innovative and diverse research our students conduct and is a way for students to share their work with the community.”
The research projects are guided by professor, and students can form a group with their peers or do their research on their own.
“I like the sense of community, and the faculty are extremely helpful,” said Ann Varghese, a senior majoring in medical anthropology.
“We have amazing faculty mentors, so the students just aren’t on their own,” said Averett. “It’s not just a line on their resume, they also really learn how to do it, working with faculty mentors and working in labs.”
Honors Day is a testament to Creighton’s dedication to undergraduate research.
“Undergraduate research is a very valuable skill, but it’s not something all undergraduates can get, and that’s something Creighton’s really good at,” said Averett. “Our students, and in particular the honors students, do really high quality research. It gives them a huge leg up that separates them from other applicants to grad school and professional programs or even med school.”
A wide variety of topics were covered, ranging from quantum resource theory to cryptocurrency in Nigeria. “All the presentations were fascinating,” said Carol Zuegner, associate professor of journalism and member of the Honors Faculty Board. “The breadth of the work that Creighton students do is really interesting.”
“What a great selection,” Zuegner added. “We had philosophy, we had criminal justice, we had all kinds of things represented.”
After the third and final session, the closing ceremony began at 4:30 p.m.. Averett, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Bridget Keegan, and Creighton Provost Mardell Wilson each gave a short speech congratulating the students on their accomplishments. Honors Program Director Jeffrey Hause presented awards to students for leadership, service, and research.