April 29, 2025 — The Dyson Center was teeming with energy and creative ideas during this year’s annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (CURSCA). Showcasing its largest cohort of presenters ever since launching in 2002, the event highlighted the impact of in-depth learning experiences and the value of faculty-mentored student research that are hallmarks of Marist’s academic offerings.

CURSCA began as a simple poster display of science projects 23 years ago and has evolved into a multifaceted, high-impact forum for students to share their work with the Marist community. These student-faculty research projects now contribute to graduates’ success. According to the Council on Undergraduate Research, 87% of employers say they are more likely to hire graduates who had successfully completed an independent research project.

“CURSCA is an amazing display of the breadth and diversity of faculty-mentored student research,” said Dr. James Snyder, Dean for Academic Engagement. “It’s a signature part of the Marist educational experience, and I am so proud of the students and faculty who showcase their work. Many of these projects are years in the making, and it’s wonderful to see so many students attending conferences and bringing their work back to Marist to share with our academic community.”

This year, more than 100 students presented their work through posters, presentations, demonstrations, and performances. In the process, they honed essential skills, put knowledge into action, and grew in confidence as emerging professionals. Each year CURSCA is brought together by faculty who are especially invested in student research, and it was co-chaired by Dr. Kimery Levering of Psychology and Dr. Michel Becuwe of Biology.

CURSCA Presenter Highlights

School of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Molly Harnaga '25, a Social Work major, presented research examining the relationship between time spent at a rehabilitation program and the impact of perceived disability.

“It’s overwhelming, but exciting to take part in something like this," said Molly. "I’ve never really been involved in research, so to present among other talented people is a privilege and exciting.”

School of Computer Science and Mathematics
Ryan Munger '25, a Computer Science major with minors in Cognitive Science, Cybersecurity, IT, and IS, researched modeling "perceptual priming," where exposure to information affects how we respond to similar information later. Using human participant data, he created a neural network model that processes words similarly to humans, potentially revealing insights into brain language processing.

"It is an honor to both showcase my research at CURSCA as well as see research conducted by my peers," said Ryan. "I hope to inspire underclassmen to pursue research as other students inspired me! I always love to see what great things students from other programs are accomplishing.”
 

School of Management
Lia Luff '26, an international business major with minors in global issues and studio art, presented a proposed business enterprise plan that developed the GlowGuard Doekje—a health wipe designed to support skin health and help prevent inflammatory diseases.

“Presenting at CURSCA was a huge honor," said Lia. "It was an amazing experience to network, explore what other students are working on, and learn about opportunities like the Fulbright Grant."
 

School of Liberal Arts
Lillian Jandrisevits '25, an English and philosophy double major, read a short story that she presented at the 2025 Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Lily’s short story, inspired by the idea of “decadent decay,” is a series of vignettes that are meant to capture what it feels like to live right now.

“Presenting at CURSCA was fun!” Lily said. “I loved hearing the other projects in my session and seeing the support for the liberal arts at Marist.”

School of Communication and the Arts
Matthew Fox '26, a media studies and production major with a concentration in film and a Psychology minor, presented research on the difference in militaristic attitudes between post-WWII Japan and the United States through the lens of Godzilla films.

"People were so nice and interested when I presented my work," said Matthew. "My research is a passion project, so it’s really cool telling people about my interests.”

School of Science
Jonathan Palmiero '26, a Chemistry major in the Biochemistry program with minors in math and biology, presented two CURSCA projects—one exploring how a specific enzyme in yeast supports cellular balance under stress, and another investigating how different substrates affect the yield and vitality of Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

“To me, CURSCA is a training ground where students build confidence presenting their research to peers and faculty,” Jonathan said. “CURSCA challenges us to think more critically and communicate more clearly, helping us grow as researchers and preparing us to share our work on larger stages.”

Words of Wisdom

Shivani Patel '22 speaking at CURSCA. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

Shivani Patel '22, who earned a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to conduct work in India and is set to begin medical school next year, served as this year’s CURSCA alumni speaker. In her remarks, she encouraged students to embrace curiosity, learn from the twists and turns of the research process, and take time to thank the faculty mentors, like her mentor Dr. Sasha Biro, who supported them along the way.

“What I love about research at Marist is that it doesn’t just exist in a box,” said Shivani. “You can explore across disciplines and chase ideas that always come with a clear blueprint. Meaningful work often comes from the courage to ask questions, explore work outside of your major, and to connect with people who inspire you.”