News & Events

Elon Poll

The Elon University Poll conducts statewide and national surveys on issues of importance to North Carolina voters and residents, sharing results with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed policy making.

Three polls in 2022-23 included surveys about:

• Skills developed in college and the value of high-impact practices, such as mentored research, in higher education
• Voter confidence in election integrity, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the national economy ahead of November mid-term elections; and
• The potential legalization of sports betting, thoughts about new restrictions in state abortion laws, and potential gubernatorial candidates.

Star Kristen Chenoweth leads music theatre master class

Tony- and Emmy-winning actress and singer Kristen Chenoweth, of “Wicked” and “Glee” fame, gave music theatre majors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during a master class in April. Ten music theatre majors performed for Chenoweth in McCrary Theatre, with the actress providing feedback. She advised students to focus on developing a range of skills and to remain authentic during auditions and performances.

Phi Beta Kappa inducts 55 new members

Fifty-five Elon University students were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and often considered the nation’s most prestigious honor society, on April 21. Elon’s chapter also inducted its first alumni member, Associate Professor of Engineering Scott Wolter ’85, now chair of the Department of Engineering. President Connie Ledoux Book and Joseph Francisco, a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar and professor of chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, delivered remarks at the ceremony.

Phi Kappa Phi adds 88 students, alumni, faculty and staff to roster

Elon’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi — the nation’s oldest and largest multidisciplinary honor society — inducted 88 new members at a ceremony April 26. Carl Lykes Sr. ’79, Alivia Mattioli-Hodge ’15 and Alex Vardavas ’72 were alumni inductees. Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Education Shefali Christopher, retired Associate Director of Academic Advising and Director of Academic Support Jim Donathan, Senior Lecturer in Education Erin Hone and Horticulturalist Susan Tripp were faculty and staff inducted.

College awards Fund for Excellence in the Arts and Sciences grants

Eight projects were awarded grants through the Fund for Excellence in the Arts and Sciences to complete initiatives in the 2023-24 academic year. They included:

• Efforts to collect oral histories in the community (Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor of human service studies, Sandy Marshall, associate professor of geography, Paula Patch, senior lecturer in English and associate director of First-Year Initiatives in the Elon Core Curriculum, and Bob Frigo, assistant dean of campus life and director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life)
• Support first-generation college students (Sabrina Thurman, assistant professor of psychology, Darynha Gnep, graduate apprentice for First-Generation Student Support Services, and Travella Free, executive director for the Center for Access and Success);
• Create outdoor STEM learning experiences (Martin Kamela, associate professor and chair of the Department of Physics, and Bethany Brinkman, associate professor of engineering);
• And convene a regional symposium on environmental politics and policy (Aaron Sparks, associate professor of political science and policy studies, Julianne Liebenguth, assistant professor of political science and policy studies, Scott Morrison, faculty fellow for sustainability and associate professor of education, and Ryan Kirk, associate professor of geography and environmental studies).

Voices of Discovery series examines wellness through scientific lens

Elon College’s Voices of Discovery science speaker series engaged students and the community in the wonder of scientific discovery by examining physical and mental wellbeing through the lens of cutting-edge scientific research and expertise. Guests for the 2022-23 theme “Living Well in a Changing World” included:

• Dr. Robert Sallis, a practicing family medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and team doctor for the Los Angeles Football Club, who spoke to the importance of exercise to our wellbeing;
• Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D., professor of neural science and psychology at New York University’s Center for Neural Science, presented “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion”; and
• Indira Turney, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center,” who presented “Weathering and Patterns of Brain Aging by Race and Ethnicity” and research into disparities in brain aging across demographics.