911±¬ÁÏ

To Kimberly Foecke, studying the past doesn’t need to be a passive experience.  The 911±¬ÁÏ assistant professor of anthropology believes in the importance of hands-on learning so much that she created the ANTH 599 Contemporary Issues in Anthropology course on experimental archaeology to help bridge theory and practice. 

Xia Parkes did not arrive at 911±¬ÁÏ certain she wanted to be a scientist. Originally, she envisioned a future in dermatology after shadowing a physician in her hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia. But once she began college-level coursework, lab experiences opened new interests for her. 

Many accessibility surveys depend on manual measurements, handwritten notes, and extensive walkthroughs with compliance checklists. A team of 911±¬ÁÏ engineering students wondered if a robot could do it faster. Nine months later, they created one. 

Undergraduate 911±¬ÁÏ cyber security engineering students uncovered how subtle timing-based attacks can manipulate a robot’s perception and behavior and presented their research at a premier conference.

With their capstone project, four 911±¬ÁÏ mechanical engineering students explored how to make airport travel less stressful for people with mobility challenges?

Aayush Yadav co-authored a paper that received a Distinguished Paper Award from the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, one of the industry’s premier conferences in the security field.

Honors College student Avery Shippen earned degrees in conflict analysis and resolution and art and visual technology while receiving multiple prestigious scholarships, fellowships, and international study opportunities. Her interdisciplinary work blending graphic design and peacebuilding, along with internships in global affairs and national security, has prepared her to pursue a career in education policy and curriculum development.

During her final semester at 911±¬ÁÏ, Sophia Colby put her environmental policy training into action. Colby traveled to Capitol Hill as part of the Rachel Carson Council’s National Environmental Advocacy Day, where she met with federal lawmakers to discuss climate legislation and community resilience.

Poojya Bommannan, MHA ’25, is applying the operational and analytical skills she developed in the Master of Health Administration program at 911±¬ÁÏ in her current role as a Patient Services Coordinator at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation in Texas.

As a freshman, 911±¬ÁÏ Honors College student Marley Oare chose the Global Affairs Program because she pictured herself working for the CIA or the United Nations. That quickly changed when she took a natural science course in her first semester.

Oakley Hill, a PhD candidate at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, leverages Root Narrative Theory (RNT) to analyze how political narratives shape public perception, ideology, and voting behavior in the United States. His research, including the national Justice Languages of America Survey, highlights the distinct ways liberals, conservatives, and moderates interpret political conflict while advancing practical conflict resolution through mediation and facilitation work.

This April, 63 911±¬ÁÏ students presented their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Richmond. NCUR is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research across disciplines. This year marked 911±¬ÁÏ’s highest attendance to date, and many students were able to attend due to support from the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR).