Students present during 17th Symposium of Artists and Scholars

Student experiences on and off campus drove the research featured during Randolph College’s 17th annual Symposium of Artists and Scholars on Wednesday.

The symposium brings together students from all academic departments to share their research and highlight some of the work they’ve produced while at Randolph.

Modeled after a traditional academic conference, the event features a keynote speaker—this year’s guest was George Washington University professor Christopher Hamner—and a luncheon alongside oral and poster presentations and exhibitions of student artwork.

Posters spread around Hampson Commons this morning told many stories. 

Topics ranged from “Not So Fast: The Influence of Auditory Rhythms on the Speed of Perceptual Decision Making” (created by Reese Cooper ’25) and “Testing Mathematica Code to Calculate Coupling Coefficients in Nonlinear Rotating Neutron Stars” (Shauna Shepard ’25) to “Beyond the Red Brick Wall: A Semester Spent Abroad in Budapest” (Renee Enzor ’25).

Stephanie Swithers ’25 also contributed a poster documenting the creation and performance of her original choreography, “Woven Is Isolation,” which premiered at the American College Dance Association Mid-Atlantic Conference in March. 

A series of collages made with plastic film waste were also on display. Created by students who took the College’s Marine Plastic Pollution Course this spring, each collage featured a marine species affected by the entanglement and ingestion of plastic waste. 

Oral presentations followed in the afternoon, as students shared their research in 15-minute presentations. 

In “The Optimization of Photovoltaic Systems in Lynchburg, VA,” Julia Crider ’25 analyzed local climate data, average household energy consumption, and system efficiency to recommend the optimal size and configuration of a solar PV system for a typical home in the city. 

Kamaria Clark ’25 shared the results of interviews she conducted with local Black women for her project, “Below the Surface and Beyond the Silence: How the ‘Strong Black Woman’ Schema and Stereotype Affect Black Women.” 

Tristan Gregory ’25 presented his research about abolitionist John Brown and his role in Black historical consciousness, and Bethany Martz ’25 went “Beyond the Field” with her presentation, exploring how athletes cope with mental health challenges and the impact those strategies have on their lives.

The second afternoon session featured a series of performances and readings of creative work, including “Ghosting Trauma,” a one-woman play written and performed by Sonia Langhorne ’25, and “Haruspicy,” a short story by Derek Whorley ’25 that was first presented at the 2025 Sigma Tau Delta Convention.

The full program and list of presentations can be found at  www.randolphcollege.edu/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2025/04/2025-symposium-program-web.pdf.