Elon hosting Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference this week

The two-day conference that starts March 31 brings together students, faculty and staff from universities throughout the Colonial Athletic Association to share the results of undergraduate research initiatives. 

Elon's Cecily Basquin '16 talks about her research at the 2016 Undergraduate Research Conference.
​Elon University will host students, faculty and staff from fellow members of the Colonial Athletic Association on March 31 and April 1 as the colleges and universities showcase their undergraduate research and students connect with alumni mentors as well as participate in “lunch and learn” professional development sessions. 

Ameya Benegal '16 presented at last year's CAA Undergraduate Research Conference. 
The two-day Undergraduate Research Conference is an initiative of the Colonial Academic Alliance, an organization founded to help create an academic link between the colleges and universities that are members of the Colonial Athletic Association. Each of the 10 schools in the Colonial Athletic Association is invited to send up to 15 students to present their research and participate, with the host school offering opening and closing keynote addresses to attendees. 

Elon's Evan Skloot '16 talks with attendees at last year's Undergraduate Research Conference. 
​Elon students will make presentations of their research in the areas of applied mathematics, art history, biology, dance performance and choreography, exercise science, finance and accounting, international studies, psychology, public health studies, sport and event management and strategic communications. Additionally, the conference will feature a quiz bowl contest on Saturday night being organized by Matthew Antonio Bosch, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center who advises Elon’s Academic Quiz Bowl Team. 

Ben Evans, associate professor of physics at Elon, will offer the opening keynote on Friday night. Titled “Magnetic Nanoparticle Solutions for Hyperthermia Therapeutics and Smart Materials,” the address will focus on his work with undergraduate scholars on projects across the scientific spectrum including ligand-targeted magnetic microspheres for drug delivery, magentic nanospheres for in vivo hyperthermia therapeutics and structured magnetic materials for soft robotics. 

The closing keynote on Saturday afternoon will be delivered by Elon’s Amy Allocco, associate professor of religious studies, and Tom Mould, professor of folklore and anthropology and director of the Honors Program. Their talk is titled “Untold, Unheard, Unexpected: Ethnography and the Challenge of Powerful Stories.” 

Find an overview of last year’s conference, held at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, here