Xavier undergrads claim top honors at research competition in Madison Square Garden

Apr 7, 2022

While Xavier students are no stranger to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, a different type of group recently got the opportunity to shine at the World’s Most Famous Arena – undergraduate researchers. 

On March 12, two Xavier students boasted top-six performances at the inaugural Big East Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium, an academic competition featuring 55 students across the 11 Big East universities.  

One of them was junior psychology major Anna Snyder, who received one of the symposium’s three honorable mentions for her presentation about how taking on other perspectives can change self-perceptions. Snyder made the poster based on research she began in spring 2020 with her mentor, Xavier associate professor in psychology Tammy Sonnentag.

The pandemic presented many obstacles throughout Snyder’s studies, which made her all the more grateful for the opportunity to travel to New York and present her hard work. 

"It was really cool getting to talk about my research and seeing people be truly interested and excited,” Snyder said. “It makes me want to keep going. It's just a good reminder that what we're doing is important.” 

Snyder was elated even before her name was called, as the judges had already awarded an honorable mention to her fellow Musketeer, senior chemistry major Andy LeBlanc. He presented his work on synthesizing Kalkitoxin, a chemical with potential uses in cancer therapies. That thrill ramped up when Snyder heard her own name and realized Xavier students would be taking home half of the event’s awards.

Additionally, four other Xavier students gave great performances at the symposium: art major Molly Mariani, biology majors Samantha Hawkins and Payton Wood, and economics major Jeremy Johnson. 

The 55 presenters at the symposium – held the day of the Big East Men’s Basketball Championship – saw their research judged on factors including the visual quality of the posters and how well presenters engaged their audience.

Not only were the winners awarded medals for their efforts, but all students selected to participate in the symposium received tickets to attend the championship game that night. 

Xavier’s strong showing in New York came as no surprise to associate professor in mathematics David Gerberry, PhD, director of the undergraduate research program in the College of Arts and Sciences and an organizer of the symposium. Particularly impressive, he said, was the students’ ability to clearly and concisely present their research to judges whose backgrounds spanned a wide range of disciplines, from chemistry and physics to art and historical music. 

“I don’t think even the top MIT undergraduate researchers could communicate their research better than our students did,” Gerberry said. “To do what they did, you have to really know your stuff from so many different angles that you can communicate based on that audience, and that is an incredibly important skill for life going forward. I think their performance in New York is a validation of the well-roundedness of Xavier students.” 

While they enjoyed the recognition, the students gained much more from their trip, forming connections with leaders and students both from their own university and those from other Big East institutions. One such connection came with Xavier Provost and Chief Academic Officer Rachel Chrastil, PhD, who oversees academic quality and student wellness across the institution. Chrastil accompanied the group on the trip and judged presenters from other institutions at the event.  

“Meeting Dr. Chrastil was something I didn't think I would do in my time at Xavier,” Snyder said. “She’s one of the leaders of the entire University, and she was just there, having lunch with us.” 

Networking with these types of accomplished leaders might intimidate many college students, but the event reaffirmed the quality of Xavier’s student body. 

“My main takeaway was just how wonderful our students are here at Xavier, and how intelligent, well-rounded and well-spoken they are,” Gerberry said. “I was just so impressed that these undergraduate students were so much more mature, so much better at communicating and conversing than I was at their age.” 

Following the success of the inaugural symposium, organizers intend to hold the event annually and refine it in the years to come.

David Hamilton
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
Office of Marketing and Communications