Student Research, Faculty Mentorship Takes Center Stage at UST Research Symposium

Hosted by the University of St. Thomas Committee on Student Research (CSR), this year's 2026 Student Research Symposium reflected the culture of curiosity that articulates a Catholic, liberal arts education at UST. Spanning two days, April 23 with a keynote addresses, an alumni panel and poster presentations at Jones Hall and the Academic Mall, followed by oral presentations and an honors colloquium on April 24 in Malloy Hall, the annual symposium is a culmination of hard work and ingenuity among St. Thomas students.

Dr. Anne Gichuri, chair of the 2025-26 CSR and associate professor in the School of Education & Human Services, led the coordination of the symposium.

"The UST Student Research Symposium cultivates and promotes a collaborative culture of inquiry by supporting and showcasing faculty supported and supervised undergraduate and graduate student research within and across disciplines campuswide," she said.

Across many varied disciplines, the committee funded 84 student research proposals across 13 departments. The symposium also received research presentation submissions from 242 students, including 77 single faculty-sponsored student research presentations and 165 group faculty-sponsored research presentations. More than 77 students requested poster presentations, and more than 95 requested oral presentations, which showcases how undergraduate research thrives at UST.

For students, the experience is both personal and educational. On April 23, students enjoyed two presentations. The keynote was by Ilya R. Espino de Marotta, marine engineer and Deputy Administrator and Chief Sustainability Officer of the Panama Canal Authority. Her talk was titled, "Expanding Frontiers in Engineering: 40 Years of Research Informed Leadership & Sustainability at the Panama Canal." The next presentation was a distinguished alumni panel including Jacquelyn DiStefano '14, Ana Hernandez '18, Danielle Herrera '97, and Ronana O'Malley '00, '06. It was called the "Power of Student Research in Exemplary Career Trajectory & Distinguished Leadership."

Later that evening, students gave poster presentations in Jones Hall and the Academic Mall. On April 24, students gave oral presentations and followed by an honors colloquium in Malloy Hall.

Daniella Farhangi, a Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student in the School of Education & Human Services, said she was honored to attend and present.

"It was a privilege to share my research study and engage in meaningful dialogue with fellow student researchers from different academic disciplines," Farhangi said. "Beyond the presentations, listening to the keynote speakers share their personal stories was incredibly inspiring and offered a powerful reminder of the human impact behind the data. I am walking away from this experience energized by the diverse perspectives shared, and motivated to continue pursuing research in my field."

These intersecting moments of collaboration are central to the University's mission. Faculty and students work together in thorough research practices that scaffold students' demonstrated applied mastery of critical thinking skills, help them identify areas they are passionate about and develop ethical research plans with high constructive impact on scholarly disciplines and communities of practice. Students also evaluate evidence with discernment in alignment with Catholic mission values and apply ethical standards to their work and its dissemination to local, regional, national and international audiences.

Undergraduate students, in particular, benefit from opportunities that are often associated with graduate-level work at larger institutions.

"Research at the undergraduate and graduate level is of critical importance, with undergraduate level research being of utmost importance," Dr. Gitchuri emphasized. "Undergraduate research helps transform student discernment of preferred areas of long-term professional and personal impact on the community at large."

That impact was evident for senior Samantha Jasso, a Psychology major in the School of Arts & Sciences with a Human Services Management minor in the Cameron School of Business.

"The Student Research Symposium was a really meaningful experience because it gave me the chance to present something I've worked really hard on and actually see it all come together," Jasso said. "I tend to get really nervous when presenting, so it definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way."

Jasso said one of her biggest takeaways was learning how to explain her research in a way that others can understand, especially people who aren't familiar with her topic.

"It also helped me build more confidence in myself and the work I've done, even when I doubted it at times," she said. "Overall, it showed me how research can actually make an impact, especially at a local level, and that made the whole experience feel really worth it."

Faculty say those experiences are part of what makes undergraduate research a high-impact practice.

"Undergraduate research, where students work closely with faculty members developing and conducting research, is considered a high impact educational experience," said Dr. Jo Meier Marquis, dean of Student Success. "Experiential practices like these allow students to extend their learning outside of the classroom, transferring their knowledge in real-world situations, and testing, refining, and expanding their knowledge of course content. Students who engage in high impact educational practices are more likely to stay in college, graduate from college, and learn critical thinking and communication skills."

Beyond the campus, students are already gaining recognition. Numerous participants have presented at regional, national and global external conferences, with several receiving prestigious recognition for outstanding research. In fact, the University reported the largest number of student research presenters this year, with more than 100 additional participants more than last year's total.

Dr. Gitchuri also pointed to the broader impact of the symposium.

"Student research presentations allow students to break down classroom and disciplinary walls, build professional and scholarly confidence, expand workforce preparedness skills, and gain networking exposure that affirms their potential to make a difference beyond the local community," she said.

Faculty leadership and campus-wide engagement played a key role in the symposium's success. Dr. Gitchuri is grateful for her CSR team who includes Dr. Dan Hu, Dr. Hok W. Wong, Dr. Michael Boler, Kaitlyn Carpenter, Dr. Olbelina Ulloa, Dr. David Squires, Dr. Charles Thangaraj, Dr. Lucindra Campell-Law, Marek Dojs, Lauren DeLumpa, Dr. Mayra Paredes, Alexandria McGhee and Dr. Timothy Brookins.

Dr. Gitchuri expressed her gratitude for the campus-wide support as well.

"The outstanding and intensive time, effort and talent our faculty at UST invest in igniting, mentoring, and celebrating our students' meaningful and transformative research; and the outstanding ongoing support and leadership provided by our Interim VPAA Dr. John Palasota, Assoc VP of Marketing & Communications Jennifer Hughes, President Sinda Vanderpool, faculty volunteers, faculty student research mentors, CSR Committee Members, and the wonderful highly professional staff across our outstanding campuswide offices and departments, without whom the symposium's celebration and our overall advancement of student research would not be possible," she said. "We owe them all deep gratitude and lasting appreciation."

As the symposium continues to grow, it underscores a defining feature of the University of St. Thomas experience: undergraduate and graduate students learning about top tier research skills as they are being shaped by dedicated faculty mentors. The connection between students and faculty at UST is a hallmark of the education one receives at St. Thomas.