30 Years of Discovery: Celebrating Student Research

More than 40 students will present posters and explain their research at the 30th annual student research symposium Thursday, April 16, from 3-4:30 p.m. in Winter Hall. 

“One of the hallmarks of Westmont College’s academic program is the opportunity for undergraduate students to work directly with faculty on research and scholarly projects,” says Provost Kim Denu. “The purpose of this symposium is to celebrate the noteworthy accomplishments of Westmont students.”

The presenting students have been conducting research with their professors for the past year from the divisions of the humanities, social sciences, and the natural and behavioral sciences. 

The 30 research projects include a wide range of topics, including woodpeckers’ use of utility poles and palm trees; how faith increases patience when contemplating death; in what ways newspapers were used politically in 1890s Hawaii; healthcare access and utilization among the local Latino community; and the effect of social conformity on students’ willingness to use AI.

One project, “Enhanced Fluorescence of Naphthalene and Biphenyl Overlayers,” includes student researchers Blake Bush ’29, Jena Fujitaki ’29, Maxwell Fuller ’28, Vanessa Kragelund ’29, Alan Lopez ’26, Brandon Moses ’27 and Caleb Tobey ’28 with Allan Nishimura, emeritus distinguished professor of chemistry.