Established in 2011, URSA was created to expand opportunities for undergraduates to lead or collaborate on research projects alongside faculty mentors. Now in its fifteenth year, the event has grown into a cornerstone of BenU’s academic calendar, and the 2026 symposium proved to be one of the most vibrant yet.

From noon-4:30 p.m., Goodwin Hall hosted a packed schedule of oral presentations across three rooms (211, 212, and 213), with three concurrent time blocks running from noon until the late afternoon. Topics ranged from police perceptions of community-oriented policing and the role of music in Native American identity to existentialist analyses of eating disorders, echo chambers on social media, CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors, and the racialized lens of medical illustration. The presentations reminded all in attendance that URSA interprets “scholarship” in the broadest possible sense.

Meanwhile, the first-floor lobby transformed into a bustling gallery of discovery during the poster session, held from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Poster topics ranged from Wolbachia bacteria in arthropods and the neurotoxic effects of microplastics on the brain to AI-driven goose deterrent systems for Lake St. Benedict, the relationship between personality traits and social deduction games, and a winter clothing drive supporting survivors of domestic violence.

Students from the natural sciences presented research findings on large-format posters, while peers from the humanities and arts displayed original creative work, including visual art installations and descriptions of original musical compositions.

Faculty, staff, and students filled the hallways and session rooms, offering thoughtful questions and enthusiastic support. For many presenters, URSA served as a vital “dry-run” for larger regional conferences later this spring. But for all involved, the event was a celebration of what happens when BenU students are given a stage to share their curiosity.

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The ÃÛÌÒTV Senior Awards annually recognize outstanding students who are earning a bachelor’s degree from ÃÛÌÒTV. This year we had a particularly strong pool of applicants! We are tremendously proud that so many remarkable students attend our school and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

The Awards and the Recipients are as follows.

Benedictine Hallmark Award: Awarded to a student whose life, activities, and achievements while at ÃÛÌÒTV exemplify one or more of the 10 Benedictine Hallmarks. This has been awarded to Victoria Alvarado.

Resilience Award (former Overcoming Adversity Award): Awarded to a student who demonstrated substantial achievements during their time at ÃÛÌÒTV despite a personal or financial hardship, which is so significant that in most cases it would have prevented a student from attending and succeeding at ÃÛÌÒTV. This has been awarded to Michael Wulffe.

Community Service Award:  Awarded to a student for outstanding community service; for example, religious, educational, social, or political activities.  The student must have worked effectively with others and commanded the respect of the organization or activity with which they worked.  This has been awarded to Hiba Siddiqui.

ÃÛÌÒTV Service Award:  Awarded to a student for outstanding service to the University in general and to fellow students in particular.  The student must have worked effectively with others and commanded the respect of the University community.  This has been awarded to Zohaib Farooq.

The Bishop Daniel Kucera Award: Awarded to a non-traditional student in recognition of their contribution in external service, leadership in their home community, and/or academic achievement while working full-time or running a home, etc. This has been awarded to Lisa O’Brien.

Thomas J. Dyba Leadership Award:  Awarded to a student for outstanding ability to initiate and organize worthwhile activities, to encourage and direct the cooperative efforts of others and to command respect as a campus leader.  This has been awarded to Ali Ebraheemi.

Awards in Academic Honors:  The awards in academic honors are conferred on students from across the University who have distinguished themselves by positive achievements in the realm of their major field of study.  It is recommended that candidates for these honors should have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5.  Students should have completed research or a scientific procedure of some consequence, conducted an experiment or investigation of positive value to their field of study, published in the field or won an election on the basis of competence in their field.

College of Science and Health:  Jacob Pipowski

College of Liberal Arts:  Samiha Syed

School of Education: Alexis Langford

Procopian Award:  The highest honor that can be bestowed on a student is the Procopian Award.  This award is given for consistently outstanding curricular and extra-curricular activities while at ÃÛÌÒTV.  The award signifies that scholarship, leadership, and service are exemplified by the student.  This has been awarded to Ayesha Moosani.

The Honors Committee is composed of: Dr. Darya Aleinikava (Chair), Dr. Catherine Arnold, Dr. Christopher Birks, Dr. Namhoon August Lee, Dr. Elaine Davies, Director of Academic Accommodations and Accessibility, and Marco Masini, Dean of Students.

Also recognized are the recipients for the Awards for the Communication Arts program:
Courtney Croft Excellence in Communication Arts – Neha Mazhari
Print Media Excellence Award – Nick Schlagel
Electronic Media Excellence Award – Neha Mazhari
Research Excellence Award – Chloe Drozdz

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