Five Villanova University Undergraduates Participate in Fifth Annual BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Symposium

VILLANOVA, Pa. (March 17, 2026)-Five Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellows (VURF) represented the University at the fifth annual BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Symposium on March 14, with one researcher-Corey McCall '27 CLAS-earning first-place recognition in the Social Sciences/Business/Arts category. The symposium, which took place at Madison Square Garden, is held ahead of the BIG EAST Men's Basketball Championship. It features undergraduate researchers from all 11 BIG EAST institutions, presenting projects across a wide range of disciplines.

"Undergraduate research opportunities are formative experiences for students. They center curiosity, innovation and creativity, enhance critical thinking, develop writing and oratory skills, and help forge important, career-building relationships," said Catherine Stecyk, Director of the Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF). "The impact of programs like VURF and other CRF-sponsored research initiatives is evidenced in the accomplishments of students like Corey, Claire, Brianna, Claire and Patrick, who will go on to innovate, pursue pressing challenges and make important contributions to their fields."

A total of 55 undergraduate research teams-five from each BIG EAST school-presented their work in a poster session competition. Each team consisted of one or two students, who were evaluated on multiple criteria including visual content, clarity of introduction and results, discussion of findings, presentation style and responses to questions.