0 Student and professor standing by poster presentation at Penn-York Research Conference.

Houghton Hosts Regional Research Conference Showcasing Student Excellence

December 11, 2024

Houghton University welcomed students and faculty from five regional institutions for the 2024 Penn-York Undergraduate Research Conference. The event, co-chaired by Houghton faculty Mark Borchert, Ph.D. and Laurie Dashnau, Ph.D., demonstrated the University’s ongoing commitment to undergraduate research.

Regional Collaboration

The November gathering brought 35 students and 10 faculty members to Houghton’s campus, representing Alfred University, St. Bonaventure University, PennWest University, St. John Fisher University and University of Pitt-Bradford. Houghton’s Eli Knapp, Ph.D. delivered the keynote address, “Shacking Up with [Aldo] Leopold: Research as the Ultimate Inclusive Sport.”

Student Presentations

Five Houghton scholars presented groundbreaking research across diverse fields:

  • Isaac Gasparri โ€™26 explored AI language models in mathematics education with “Comparative Analysis of LLMs for Math Education”
  • Ashleigh Gossman โ€™26 investigated ChatGPT trust and usage patterns with “Survey on Trust, Opinions, and Use of Chat GPT”
  • Ethan McCarthy โ€™25 analyzed religious changes in England with “The Division and Decline of Established Religion in England”
  • Zach Roussie โ€™25 examined historical labor movements with “Shock Troops for the New Deal: The Amalgamated Clothing Workers in Rochester, New York, 1929-1939”
  • Will Tormey โ€™24 studied environmental impacts on local fish species with “Presence of Black-Spot Disease (Uvulifier ambloplitis) in Genesee Water Fish Species”

The presentations showcased the depth and variety of undergraduate research opportunities available at Houghton, where students work closely with faculty mentors to pursue their academic interests.

“Participating in the post-pandemic revival of this conferenceโ€”which Houghton has been affiliated with since 2005 and which last occurred virtually in 2020โ€”was extremely gratifying,” remarked Dashnau. “We already are looking forward to taking many Houghton students to next year’s conference, which will be hosted at the University of Pennsylvania at Bradford.”

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