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Eight Westminster students selected as URAC podium presenters

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Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Eight students have been selected to present their research at podium presentations during this year’s Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration (URAC) on Wednesday, April 19 at Westminster College. 

Each year, URAC showcases the collaborative work between Westminster faculty and students. 

Selected students, those who are amongst some of the top researchers at Westminster, are invited to present their research during the podium presentation portion of URAC. Podium presentations are selected amongst all students who submit an abstract to the event and are based on the quality of submissions. 

This year’s podium presentations—which will all be held in Mueller Theater in McKelvey Campus Center and will be available on Facebook Live—are: 

Izayah Bojanac will present “Investigating Breakdown of Histone mRNA Using Advanced Molecular Dynamics” from noon to 12:30 p.m. Bojanac is a senior biochemistry major and honors student from Harrisburg, Pa. Faculty sponsor is Dr. Patrick Lackey, assistant professor of chemistry. Watch on Facebook Live.

Austin O’Hara will present “Using Differential Equations to Model a Mass on a Spinning Wheel” from 12:30 to 1 p.m. O’Hara is a senior mathematics major from Girard, Ohio. Faculty sponsor is Dr. Heather Muchowski, assistant professor of mathematics. Watch on Facebook Live.

Lauren Millhorn will present “What Manner of Man is This?: Presentations of Vampiric ‘Others’ in Nineteenth-Century Literature” from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Millhorn is a senior English major and honors student from Rogers, Ohio. Faculty sponsor is Dr. Trisha Cowen, assistant professor of English. Watch on Facebook Live.

A group presentation will feature Cherise Schultz, junior business administration major from Volant, Pa., Michael Phillips, sophomore finance major from Saxonburg, Pa., Kent Dunn, senior finance major from West Valley City, Utah, Ryan Armstrong, senior biology major from Pocono Summit, Pa., and Ashlyn Lang, senior environmental studies major from Sewickley, Pa., as they present “An ESG Analysis of Starbucks and the Global Coffee Industry” from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Faculty sponsor is Brian Petrus, assistant professor of business administration and human resource management. Watch on Facebook Live.

Alongside the podium presenters, students ranging from first-years to seniors from nearly every academic discipline will participate in different URAC events, which include oral presentations, research roundtables, poster sessions, videos, performances and art displays. 

For a complete schedule of URAC events, click here