Twenty-four students from the Eastern Kentucky University Honors Program presented research and creative work at the 53rd annual conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) in Boston, Massachusetts, Nov. 7-10. As usual, EKU’s delegation of student presenters was among the largest of any honors college or honors program in the nation at this prestigious annual event.
The conference highlighted student and faculty research presentations from across the nation and provided training and development for honors program administrators. The conference theme, “Learning to Transgress,” explored innovation and boundary crossing in honors teaching and learning.
In addition to a poster presentation based upon her research, EKU Honors junior Peyton Brock was also one of eight honors students nationally to be invited to participate in the conference’s annual “Student Fishbowl” focus group event — one of NCHC’s oldest traditions.
Of her second NCHC trip, Brock said, “NCHC has been a valuable experience in my scholarly development and has led me to personal discoveries I didn’t think possible. Presenting in a national arena has helped me find my voice, enhanced my ability to communicate, and increased my confidence tremendously.”
This year’s conference included more than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, and administrators hailing from all 50 states, as well as participants from the Netherlands and Russia. The national submission process for NCHC presentations is highly selective, with hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and administrators submitting proposals each year.
EKU student presenters included: Calvin Andries, Nathanael Bartosch, Breanna Bowling, Peyton Brock, Jessica Carlotti, Skylar Carter, Andrew Coyle, Yadira Crisantos, Collin Davis, Welsy Discua-Rodríguez, Caridad Echevarría, Lauren Fuller, Cheyenne Gibson, Madison Harris, Stuart Jones, Tristan King, Anne Calloway Kinsman, Matthew Lee, Andrea Patino, Kaitlyn Ralston, Leslie Richie, Dakota Shively, Shelby Strong, and Brooklyn Yates.
EKU faculty and staff presenters included Dr. David Coleman, executive director of EKU Honors; Dr. Lisa Kay, professor of mathematics and statistics; Dr. Gene Kleppinger, manager of online learning; Dr. Paula Kopacz, foundation professor of English; Trenia Napier, associate director of the Noel Studio; Dr. Minh Nguyen, associate director of EKU Honors; Katie Patton, EKU Honors program coordinator; and Melissa Vandenberg, associate professor of art. Dean Sara Zeigler of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences also accompanied the group.