Meredith College Students Present 35+ Research Projects

Students at a North Carolina liberal arts college are proving that groundbreaking research isn't just for graduate schools. On April 14, more than 35 undergraduate researchers filled Johnson Hall at Meredith College to present their original work at the school's 24th annual Celebrating Student Achievement Day.

The topics spanned an impressive range. Students explored everything from music therapy in palliative care to the gender pay gap across countries to how menopause affects metabolism. Each poster represented months of rigorous investigation by students still earning their bachelor's degrees.

What makes Meredith's event special isn't just its longevity. According to Whitney Ross Manzo, Director of Undergraduate Research, the college attracts more student researchers than similar institutions. "We usually have more participants on this day than other schools tend to get because we have more undergraduate research programs and support than many liberal arts institutions of our size," she explained.

The expanded opportunities mean students get hands-on experience that typically only graduate students receive. They learn to design studies, analyze data, and present findings to their peers. These are skills that will serve them throughout their careers, no matter which field they choose.

The Ripple Effect

The real magic happens when students from different majors gather in one space. A psychology major discussing music therapy might spark an idea for a nursing student. A business major's research on the pay gap could inform a sociology student's work on gender equity.

"Though we have many majors leading into hundreds of different careers, there are common ideas that every field encounters: influence, power, justice, health, growth, culture," Manzo said. The cross-pollination of ideas strengthens every discipline involved.

The event also breaks down academic silos. STEM researchers learn from arts and humanities scholars, and vice versa. Social science students discover new methodologies from their science peers. This collaborative spirit creates better researchers and more well-rounded thinkers.

For 24 years, Meredith has invested in giving undergraduate students the resources, mentorship, and platform to conduct meaningful research. The result is a generation of young scholars ready to tackle the world's challenges with curiosity and rigor.