Online Academic Festival Showcases Students’ Achievements
Record-breaking 190 students participate
Sacred Heart University marked the end of the 2020-21 school year with its annual Academic Festival in May, presented online due to the pandemic. Organized by SHU’s Committee for Undergraduate Research, the festival presents research conducted by graduate and undergraduate students for judges’ consideration.
This was a record-breaking year, with participation from 190 students. Presentation topics ranged from literature to 3D-printed models and vaccinations, among others.
“Every year, the projects get stronger and stronger, and this year was no different,” said Steven Michels, associate provost at Sacred Heart. “The judges needed extra time because there were so many outstanding projects. They had some difficult decisions to make.”
After the festival, Michels awarded prizes in 12 categories, including the Dean’s Prizes for individual SHU colleges and the Provost’s Prize.
Tomas Koeck ’22, a media arts major with a focus in broadcast journalism, won “Most Meaningful” and “Campus Choice” for his 10-minute film, Sentinels of the Boreal. He also received an honorable mention in the “Best Visuals” category.
Released on Earth Day, Sentinels of the Boreal showcases the animals, particularly the great gray owl, that dwell in boreal forests (also called snow forests, as they grow in areas where temperatures are cold for six to eight months per year). Owls are a focus of much of Koeck’s other works, including his photography.
“I’ve always had a deep fascination with nature and wanted to help showcase its environments with my filmmaking,” said Koeck. “Doing a story on one of the rarest bird species in the country was a challenge and a commitment that made it worth doing.”
He encouraged future SHU students looking to participate in the festival to focus on subjects in which they have strong interests.
“I would advise anyone wanting to participate in the Academic Festival to do something that they are passionate about. This is your opportunity to explore and do something that is meaningful, rewarding and beneficial to your experience within and outside Sacred Heart,” said Koeck.
Other 2021 Academic Festival Awards were:
- Best Writing/Writing Across Curriculum–first-place winner, Elizabeth Turrello; second-place winner, Daniel Glendon; and third-place winner Nicholas Duca, with honorable mentions for Catherine Albo, Katie Chan and Isabella Michelucci
- Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration–winner Isabella Michelucci, with honorable mentions for Cristian Corona and Alexa McConnell
- Most Meaningful–honorable mentions for Sephorah Alouidor, Olivia Sangiovanni and Isabella Montecalvo
- Best Visuals–winner Erin Rondi, with honorable mention for Florentia Petrides
- Most Creative–winner Alexis Utz, with honorable mentions for Paige Larkin, Aidan Murphy and Patrick O’Donnell
- Most Scholarly Impact or Potential–winner Tiana Giovatto, with honorable mentions for Claire O’Connor and Melis Akman
- Dean’s Prize for the College of Arts & Sciences–winner Mia Coluccio, with honorable mentions for Madison Bradley and Kerin Ingegneri
- Dean’s Prize for the College of Health Professions–winner Rachel Martin, with honorable mentions for Alyssa Balestrieri, Paige Larkin, Gianna Garcia and Olivia Gill
- Dean’s Prize for the Davis & Henley College of Nursing–winner Nicole Wilson, with honorable mentions for Morgan Bryant and Kayla Castro
- Dean’s Prize for the Welch College of Business & Technology–winner Sephora Alouidor, with honorable mentions for Gabriel Bitencourt and Elijah Brown, and for Kiersten Keating
- Provost’s Prize–winner Rachel Martin
- Campus Choice–second-place winner Christine Thorp and third-place winners Olivia Cayward, Leighann DeLuca, Taylor Patnode and Mollie Rogan
Photo: "Great Gray Owl in Snow" by Tomas Koeck '22