How To Participate

New to research? Start here!

How to participate

Step 1: Choose Your Presentation Format

• Poster Session: Display your work on a professional poster (we can help you print it!)
• Oral Presentation: Give a 10-minute talk about your research
• 3-Minute Video: Create a short video explaining your project

Step 2: Write Your Abstract (Due February 13, 2026)

An abstract is a 200-word summary of your research. Don't worry if you've never written one—check out our examples and templates under the Archives tab at the right!

Step 3: Submit Your Abstract

Use our online form to the right, or click here. Need help? Contact us at undergraduateresearch@valdosta.edu.

Step 4: Prepare Your Presentation

We offer workshops and one-on-one support for poster design, presentation skills, and more. Check our workshop schedule [LINK COMING SOON!].

Step 5: Present at the Symposium (April 6-9, 2026)

Show up, share your work, and celebrate your accomplishments!

Examples of Successful Abstracts

The Relation of Online Interaction and Confidence

Nautica N. Graddy (Sponsor: Dr. Chialing Ho)

Prior literature, Janjua & Rasool (2020) and Zhai (2019) showed that people who are indulging in internet activities are more vulnerable to stress and other mental disorders like depression and anxiety, which causes stress when thinking about their ability to perform in future careers. Although the above studies showed that online communication/interaction can lead to depression and anxiety, they have not shown online communication's positive effects. Therefore, to learn more about the positive effects of online communication, the current study will explore how to detect the negative effects on one’s mental health when interacting online. The results showed that most of their online communication is related to their confidence when interacting with people in person (face-to-face) are (r = .08). The conclusion is in line with what was found in other studies. Other studies suggested that people who are less likely to communicate online tend to be more confident when communicating in person.

Effect of the Mobile Phase in the Analysis of Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Airionna S. Fordham (Sponsor: Dr. Linda de la Garza)

The mobile phase plays an important role in the separation of molecules in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this project, several drugs of clinical importance were analyzed using different percentage composition of the mobile phase, in reverse-phase chromatography. The anti-arrhythmic drugs included disopyramide, lidocaine, and quinidine which eluted in less than 10 minutes using a 5 cm C18 column. The mobile phases were prepared with water, methanol, acetic acid, and triethylamine (TEA) starting at 63:30:6.5:0.5 %v/v yielding solutions of pH ~ 2.76-3.4. As the percentage of methanol increased in the run, the retention time of the drugs decrease. As the percentage of water increased in the run, the retention time of the drugs increased. The addition of methanol had more of an effect on the retention time of the drugs than water, which did not increase the retention time by much. Further evaluation of % methanol and % TEA in the mobile phase will be performed to optimize the separation of the anti-arrhythmic drugs using the HPLC.

Limiting the Ecological Footprint of the Theatrical Industry

Ella Risa Marroquin (Sponsor: Dr. Chalise Ludlow)

The mainstream process of theatre creation typically aligns with the Cradle-to-Grave mindset, where materials are created for limited time use, disposed of once they are no longer needed, and are replaced with a new show as it repeats this process. This cycle leads to the theatrical industry’s large ecological footprint. The idea of “Green Theatre” is a new concept that has emerged in recent years to combat these wasteful practices by planning for what materials may be used and how they will be used most efficiently, with as little waste as possible. Through this study, I created an anonymous survey to gather whether the Valdosta State University Theatre and Dance community was aware of the common but wasteful practices within the theatrical industry, and if they knew of solutions or initiatives towards greener theatre practices. Results showed that the majority of the VSU Theatre and Dance community feels that there is a large ecological footprint in the theatrical industry and recognizes many areas that could reduce waste with potential solutions. However, participants acknowledged many challenges that an educational institution might have moving towards greener theatre compared to a professional theatre company.

Bach's Double Violin Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1043, I. Vivace

Amelia Pharis, Kamille McLean, and Rebeca Sierra (Sponsors: Dr. Joshua Pifer and Xin Yu Chang)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German Baroque composer. Bach was a musical genius, and his pieces have a key component known as counterpoint. J. S. Bach's Concerto for Two Violins, famously known as the "Bach Double," was composed during the late Baroque period, and it is his only concerto for two violins. The first movement, Vivace, springs into counterpoint with a defining fugal subject which then echoes through the violins and orchestra, creating an intricate tapestry of motion. As music majors, our primary area of scholarly research is live music performance. As a member of an ensemble, we are expected to learn not only our individual parts but also how each part fits into the ensemble. In rehearsals, we discuss who has the most important melody and how to blend each part to create the stylistic musical expression and character. This process of collaboration with peers is enjoyable, creative, and filled with decision-making. The outcome of this research, involving practicing and rehearsing, is performing in front of an audience. This performance goal is then to bring Bach's music to fruition for the performers and to life for those who come together to enjoy live music and have a positive impact on the human soul.

Investigating Students' Perspectives on Their College through Exploratory Data Analysis

Joanna N. Smith, Gerniya Z. Flewellen and Andrew J. King (Sponsor: Dr. Taewon Hwang)

This study investigates students' perspectives about their college through analysis of a survey, collected from students at the College of Business Administration (CBA), Valdosta State University (VSU). Student perceptions of confidence, satisfaction, and benefits were measured on a five-point Likert scale. The survey data included 174 college students (50% male, 49% female, and 1% non-binary) with ages ranging from under 18 to 36 and older. This research will provide valuable information through exploratory data analysis. It will help college administrators improve their programs and have opportunities to recruit more students.

The Necessity of Hands-On Science through the Lens of Non-Traditional Teaching

Raya A. Schilke (Sponsor: Dr. Gayle Ramirez)

Children are naturally curious about the world around them. Hands-on experiments and demonstrations are essential to effectively teaching science to elementary students. When provided with opportunities for multisensory explorations, students actively engage with scientific content while using the Crosscutting Concepts as tools to make sense of phenomena, which encourages engagement and creativity, which is vital to student comprehension. Tactile activities paired with live science demonstrations allow students to observe phenomena and draw conclusions on their own. By exploring this concept application through a non-traditional teaching setting, curiosity and engagement are encouraged while evidence is gained, supporting an application within a traditional classroom setting. Learning opportunities that are student-centered and allow multisensory engagement with science content, such as those provided by the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, promote inquiry-based learning. The purpose of this research is the investigation of the effectiveness of hands-on science activities and to promote the emphasis of direct student participation in order for better comprehension and more effective teaching. The results were compiled from the observation of the in-person application of said activities, with approved scholarly literature to support. The written material emphasized the project claim along with the desired application within traditional classroom environments.

When Real-Life Horror Meets Fiction: Dystopia in The Nickel Boys

Laura A. Northup (Sponsor: Dr. Donna Sewell)

This project conducts an analysis of Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys through the lens of dystopic fiction. In this novel, a teenager named Elwood finds himself wrongfully convicted of automobile theft and sent to Nickel Academy, a reform school in Florida that abuses students behind closed doors. Elwood attempts to address the school's corruption with the help of his newfound friend, Turner. While The Nickel Boys is fictional, the history of the school it's based on is alarmingly real. The events of the novel are very disturbing, but the pieces that make it disturbing are also purely factual. Dystopic fiction characteristically takes what I call “periphery spaces” (physical spaces society typically pushes out of view to house the atypical society member) to the extreme, integrating the most negative aspects of real life as the foundation for a fictional world. However, Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys was inspired by a real-life space so naturally grotesque, it needed little fictionalization to create disturbing images. Analyzing Whitehead's novel from this lens begs the question of just how far some of the spaces in our world are from being dystopic.