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Mount Saint Mary’s University hosted the 11th Annual Academic Symposium on April 11 at the Chalon Campus. Sponsored by the Center of Academic Innovation and Creativity (CAIC), this was the first time that the event was celebrated in person since the pandemic, gathering hundreds of students, faculty and staff to honor and celebrate the Mount’s academic excellence, research and creativity.

“The Academic Symposium brings the Mount community together to present their scholarly work of the year. As a community, we spend the day informing each other, listening to each other and engaging in questions that really matter. This is truly the beauty of the educational programs at Mount Saint Mary’s,” said ¹ú²ú´«Ã½ President Ann McElaney-Johnson, PhD, during her opening remarks.

Over 160 students, faculty and staff members from all divisions and academic programs presented at the 11th Academic Symposium — an event that continues to grow year after year. 

The interdisciplinary showcase of research and discussions featured 46 academic presentations, 10 Honors Thesis presentations, five Biology Capstones presentations, and 15 poster presentations. Attendees had the opportunity to hop from classroom to classroom at the Humanities Building to learn and discuss about a wide range of projects spanning STEM disciplines, social sciences, and performing and visual arts. 

Research projects included topics such as “The Effect of Land Management Strategies and Philosophies on Soil, Ecosystems, and Sustainability,” “Applying Generative Artificial Intelligence to the Scholarly Experience,” “Ozone Therapy as Cancer Treatment by Anti-inflammatory and Apoptotic Mechanisms,” and  “New Skills, Techniques, and Strategies in Music Audio Recording.” To learn more about this year’s academic presentations, check out the full program .

As previous years, the poster presentations took place at the Chalon Circle, where presenters showcased their work and expertly addressed questions from fellow students, faculty and staff. 

In addition, some of the presentations were also livestreamed via Zoom to the Center for Inclusive Excellence at the Doheny Campus, offering additional remote opportunities to join this signature event.

 “This year’s Academic Symposium was a day of learning, creativity and community knowledge,” said Andrée Leighton, PhD, the director of CAIC and assistant professor in the history and political science department, who leads the planning of this campus-wide initiative. “The presentations brought us insights and concrete actions to advance the University's mission and commitments to social change and global awareness. Every year, the work of Mount students, faculty and staff keeps us moving forward. The symposium is a highlight of the academic year and a gift to all of us."

Planning for the event began months in advance, with presenters submitting a 250-word abstract describing their work in language appropriate for those without a background in their respective academic disciplines/fields.

“This was my first time presenting at this beautiful event. Undergraduate research is a blessing for students,” said Aurora Torres ’24, a Spanish major and political science minor, who presented a co-authored research on “Food, Women, and Work in the Borderlands: Identity and Intersectionality in US-Mexico Borderlands Cuisine,” in collaboration with Mount students Stephanie Ahorro ’25 and Graciela Escamilla ‘25.  

“The Mount truly gives students the space to look for our passions and build our resumes. The University encourages us to do research and share our knowledge and ideas in order to change the world,” added Aurora.