SHU Students Win at Eastern Colleges Science Conference

SHU hosts 77th annual conference, drawing 21 colleges and universities to campus

Eleven Sacred Heart University students won awards for their presentations at the 77th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference (ECSC), which took place recently at SHU.

The ECSC showcases the achievements of undergraduate researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and social sciences programs. More than 300 students and their faculty mentors, representing 21 colleges and universities, attended the day-long conference. Students presented research in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering and psychology.

The highlight was a keynote address by Justin Shaifer, known as “Mr. Fascinate,” who is described as “the young generation’s voice of innovation.” He discussed strategies students can use to counteract misinformation about the sciences. The conference concluded with a banquet to celebrate award winners in the various disciplines, including SHU students who shared findings on a range of topics.

Nicole Sperling ’24 received an award for her psychology presentation, which detailed coping methods older adults used during the pandemic, while Lauren Simak ’23, Katrina Brown ’25 and Abigail Wilk ’24 won an award for psychology research that explored how students view “growth mindset” teaching in middle and high schools, which is based on the idea that intelligence is not fixed but can grow over time. Noelle Debrot ’24, Nicholas Granja ’24  and Fabiola Millien-Faustin ’24 received an award for their psychology presentation on people’s experiences with social identity threat in politically-heated and racially-sensitive conversations.

Xanthe Robinson ’25 won for ecology and botany research that investigated native and invasive aquatic plant responses to amphipod and snail grazing, and Leah Foito ’25 won for her ecology and environmental science presentation on the decline of the Asian shore crab population.

Charlotte Ribaudo ’24 and Ilona Farkas ’23 won awards for their ecology and environmental science study, which explored the microclimate of the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. Evelyn Paquette ’23, John Paul Giacolone ’23 and Michael Fumo ’23 won for their neuroscience and development presentations, which detailed motor and sensory neuron development in embryonic zebrafish.

The ECSC’s aim is to stimulate interest in undergraduate research in the sciences and related fields and to provide a lively forum for presenting research. The first conference occurred in 1947.