It鈥檚 a question often asked himself in the early days of his ongoing fight against cancer. It wasn鈥檛 until initial treatment proved futile that Chakrabarty, who delivered keynote remarks on April 17, 2026, at a Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony for dozens of top 黑料不打烊 students, better understood the praise.

Bravery, simply put, can also be persistence. 鈥淲hen people tell someone battling an illness that they are brave, it鈥檚 because they鈥檙e continuing to fight – despite the odds, and despite the pain and suffering,鈥� Chakrabarty said.

Drawing on lessons from his career, Chakrabarty emphasized for his audience in the Lakeside Meeting Rooms that both professional and personal success is often shaped by more than intellect. Habits, perspective, relationships – and, yes, courage – can lead to a wondrous and fulfilling life. He offered five strategies for students to consider:

• Act with efficiency: Address small tasks immediately to avoid unnecessary stress.
• Remain open to place and possibility: Career paths are often unpredictable and shaped by unexpected opportunities.
• Prioritize energy over time: Success depends less on hours available and more on how energy is directed.
• Redefine wealth and contentment: Financial pursuit alone does not lead to fulfillment.
• Invest in relationships: Simple gestures can strengthen meaningful connections.

Chakrabarty concluded his remarks with a charge for inductees to use their knowledge and their courage to improve the human condition.

鈥淔ind a way to be brave, fight evil, and injustice, and fight your own demons, whether they be cancer or mental health struggles,鈥� he said. 鈥淪tand up for nature or for a cause, or for anything that you care about. Stand up for those who can’t. Stand up for yourself, and remember, not only to be smart, but to be also brave.鈥�

Chakrabarty is the E.K. Hunter Chair for Communication in Science Research, professor and curator of fishes at the Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University. He studies the natural history of fishes to better understand Earth history and evolution and has traveled to more than 30 countries to conduct that research.

Chakrabarty is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a national fellow of the Explorers Club, a fellow of the Linnean Society and a TED senior fellow. He is past president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and is on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Science Education and the American Institute of Biological Sciences.

Sixty 黑料不打烊 students were candidates for induction, and many attended the program accompanied by family members.

Phi Beta Kappa has established chapters at nearly 300 colleges and universities in the United States, representing only 10% of the nation鈥檚 institutions of higher learning. Each year, the top 10% of arts and sciences graduates at these institutions are selected for membership.聽黑料不打烊鈥檚 Eta Chapter of North Carolina was installed on April 13, 2010.

Inductees also heard from Associate Professor Anthony Rizzuto, president of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; Associate Librarian Shannon Tennant, the Eta Chapter鈥檚 historian, who shared the history, origins and traditions of Phi Beta Kappa; and Hilton Kelly, dean of 黑料不打烊 College, the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of sociology.

鈥淭onight is a celebration of excellence, a recognition of your remarkable achievements, and a testament to your dedication to academic pursuits,鈥� Rizzuto said. 鈥淭his induction is not merely a reflection of your intellect, but also your unwavering commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and understanding.

鈥淧hi Beta Kappa is not merely a recognition of past achievements, it is a charge to continue striving for excellence, to embrace intellectual curiosity, and to use your knowledge for the better manner of society. Indeed, as members of Phi Beta Kappa, you are not only scholars but also stewards of knowledge entrusted with the responsibility to shape the future. In a world filled with complex challenges, your intellect, dedication, and perhaps, most importantly, creativity will be indispensable.鈥�

Indeed, as members of Phi Beta Kappa, you are not only scholars but also stewards of knowledge entrusted with the responsibility to shape the future.

– Associate Professor Anthony Rizzuto

Kelly’s closing remarks underscored Rizzuto’s points.

鈥淵our induction affirms not only your academic achievements, but also your commitment to engaging in the breadth and depth of learning that can transform worlds, asking hard questions, engaging diverse perspectives, pursuing truth, or multiple truths, and applying what you learn to real world problems,” he said. “In laboratories, in libraries, studios, and stages, classrooms, and communities, you have demonstrated what it means to think critically and to engage deeply in the liberal arts and sciences.

鈥淚t is your responsibility to continue embracing complexity through problem posing, and problem solving, to remain lifelong, disciplinary, and interdisciplinary learners, and to use your education not only for personal success, but for the common good.鈥�

2026 Inductees into the Eta Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society

Leah Alberga ’26
Psychology

Ella Allen ’26
Mathematics

Faith Almond ’26
English

Nicolas Alvarez ’27
Engineering and Mathematics

Lauren Bedell ’26
Political Science and Policy Studies

Kiersten Bergman ’26
Strategic Communications

Jo Bogart ’26
English and Classical Studies

Mary Boyd ’26
English

Anya Bratic ’26
International & Global Studies and Public Policy

Rebecca Bravman ’26
Psychology

Julia Bromfeld ’26
Human Service Studies

Nick Brown ’26
Psychology

Emma Call ’26
Exercise Science

Conter Cornwell ’26
Biochemistry

Margaret Crawford ’26
Human Service Studies

Maggie Dion ’26
Engineering

Maya Duarte Cherry ’26
Political Science and Philosophy

Emily Ecker ’26
Public Health Studies and International & Global Studies

Katherine Evans ’26
Biology

Reese Garrity ’26
Biochemistry

Nicole Genzink ’26
Biology

Jinelle Gonzalez ’27
International & Global Studies and Policy Studies

Izzy Greenstein ’26
Human Service Studies and Spanish

Olivia Guarino ’26
Psychology

Marykate Hart ’26
Environmental & Sustainability Studies

Ava Hellner ’26
Psychology

Diego Hernandez ’26
Engineering

Madeline Hewgley ’26
Music Theatre and Political Science

Fiona Hodge ’26
Psychology

Katie Hull ’26
Political Science and International & Global Studies

Brady Jackson ’26
Policy Studies and Political Science

Haley Johnson ’26
Psychology

Emma Kenney ’26
Environmental and Ecological Science

Ella Kinman ’26
English and Political Science

Maddie Kippe ’26
Exercise Science

Sam Kupka ’26
International & Global Studies and Religious Studies

Tori Layton ’26
History and German Studies

Murilo Lopes ’27
Computer Science

Annika Lotsch’26
Psychology

Abigail Manning ’26
Environmental and Ecological Science

Archie Meskhidze ’26
Philosophy and International & Global Studies

Gavin Michaud ’26
Psychology and Sociology

Molly Moylan ’26
Biochemistry

Pagnapech Ngoun ’26
Engineering

Anna Orlando ’26
Psychology

Allyson Parent ’26
Psychology

Mackenzie Perry ’26
Political Science

Braetan Peters ’26
Biology

Erin Pitman ’26
Biochemistry

Ruby Radis ’26
Human Service Studies

Caroline Reich ’26
Exercise Science

Zoe Richardson ’26
International & Global Studies and Philosophy

Matthew Rostan ’26
Political Science and History

Kailey Stark ’26
Public Health Studies and Psychology

Fayrah Stylianopoulos ’26
Psychology

Rahv Tupac-Yupanqui ’26
Engineering and Physics

Noelle Vaught ’26
History

Athena Vizuete ’26
History

Mia Webdell ’26
Biochemistry

Lawson Wheeler ’26
Exercise Science

As the midterm election approaches in November, Catherine Dierker 鈥�27 is asking a timely question: Can educators better prepare young people to participate in democracy?

An 黑料不打烊 history major with teacher licensure from Marietta, Georgia, Dierker鈥檚 research focuses on improving civic engagement among young voters. She will present her findings during the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 28.

鈥淐onsidering that the youth turnout rate is so low, what can we do to make students feel prepared and make them feel like when they graduate, they can make a difference?鈥� she said.

Dierker鈥檚 interest in research grew through 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Teaching Fellows program, where she developed an inquiry project that eventually evolved into her SURF presentation.

鈥淚鈥檝e always really been very curious,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was something that I was interested in, but then given the opportunity to develop.鈥�

Her project examines effective practices in civics education, drawing from national and international data, teacher interviews and existing scholarship. While her findings reveal no single solution, they point to three key strategies that can help foster civic engagement among students.

鈥淭he first being to embrace controversy,鈥� Dierker explained. 鈥淧eople shy away from trying to tackle big subjects that are a little controversial, but it鈥檚 what makes people engaged. It fires people up, and passionate people are going to act.鈥�

In addition, her research highlights the importance of promoting civic agency, helping students feel that their voices matter, and incorporating service learning into classrooms.

鈥淎llowing people to get out in their local community and do a semester-long project really demonstrates to them that they have made a difference,鈥� she said.

Dierker emphasized that her work is less about prescribing a single method and more about offering a framework for educators.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not one thing that we can say to all teachers, do this and all of your students will go out and vote,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut if we apply these strategies, we will see a lot better turnout and results from our civic education.鈥�

Her research process combined large-scale data analysis with qualitative insights. She examined U.S. census data, compared state-level education practices and reviewed studies from both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Mentored by Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Carrie Eaves, Dierker said the experience has been both academically rigorous and personally meaningful.

鈥淪he鈥檚 fantastic,鈥� said Dierker of Eaves. 鈥淚t鈥檚 those little connections that were nice to talk about and then really dive into the details of the research.鈥�

During SURF Day, all other campus activities are suspended so the 黑料不打烊 community can come together around students鈥� creative endeavors and research efforts. Undergraduate research is also one of the five 黑料不打烊 Experiences, which provides a natural extension of the work students do in the classroom and ensures that 黑料不打烊 graduates are prepared for both graduate school and careers. Although this will be her first time presenting at SURF, Dierker is looking forward to sharing her work.

鈥淚鈥檓 nervous, but I鈥檓 excited. I鈥檓 really passionate about it. I love talking about things that I鈥檓 passionate about,鈥� she said.

As she prepares for a future in the classroom, Dierker hopes her research will help shape how civics is taught and how students see their role in society.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more of a framework to guide how we go about education and how we go about interacting with our community and with our nation,鈥� she said.

Wente鈥檚 research examines the relationship between music, performance, composition, and technology, particularly in relation to the player piano. She explores these topics in her 2022 book, “The Player Piano and Musical Labor: The Ghost in the Machine.” In the article, she offers a perspective on historical and contemporary questions of authorship, authenticity, and creativity, highlighting how emerging technologies continue to reshape the ways music is created, performed and experienced.

Associate professor of English Jennifer Eidum earned the award for her article, 鈥淐ontextualizing Reflective Writing for Creating Change: A Cross-Institutional Case Study of First-Year Students鈥� Reflections,鈥� co-authoredwith Jaclyn Fiscus-Cannaday, assistant professor of writing studies at the University of Minnesota, and Lillian Campbell, associate professor of English at Marquette University.

Eidum鈥檚 research focused on how reflection prompts and student responses exist within a larger ecosystem of reflective opportunities, including class context, writing program culture, and university missions. Their multi-institutional study analyzed patterns in student reflective writing to understand the relationship between context and student response.

鈥淲e invite writing teachers, and ultimately all teachers, to think expansively about reflection 鈥� not only as something that happens in a classroom, but as something connected to students’ civic lives, spiritual lives, and sense of self,鈥� Eidum said. 鈥淭here’s real space in reflection that prompts one to ask bigger questions, and students are already trying to answer them.鈥�

For Eidum, reflection is an integral part of the learning process. If we are to understand what it is that we learned, we ought to understand how we changed while learning it, she explained. Her research and commitment to reflection believes this fervently.

Eidum also described that her research is never a stagnant process and how there is always some new research insight that can be pursued. She also emphasizes reflection within her courses and believes in its formative power to shape students’ involvement in their own lives.

鈥淩eflection is bigger than the classroom,鈥� Eidum said. 鈥淣o matter how a prompt is worded, students consistently write about their lives, identities and growth beyond their academic experience. This 鈥榚xcess鈥� isn’t a problem 鈥� it’s a signal that students are bringing their whole selves to the page.鈥�

Eidum described the journey of getting this research published as winding and tumultuous: they submitted the article to multiple journals over many years with several rounds of reviewer and editor feedback. This research represented a large cross section of time in Eidum鈥檚 and her colleagues鈥� lives.

鈥淭he research means a lot to me and my colleagues,鈥� Eidum said. 鈥淲e juggle a lot, but I think that’s part of what makes our work meaningful. Our experiences as whole people don’t stay separate from our research and teaching. If anything, living a full, complicated life is what keeps us reflective, which might be exactly why we were drawn to studying reflection in the first place.鈥�

Eidum was surprised to hear that her research had won the award. She did not know that the article was up for the award until it had won. She was at her daughter鈥檚 doctor’s appointment when she heard about the award.

鈥淭he award felt very emblematic of the project as a whole,鈥� Eidum said.

Eidum鈥檚 reflection on her own research shows how never-ending the process of reflection is. Just as her reflection on her award does the same.

She Built This City鈥檚 mission is to provide industry-disruptive programming that sparks interest and builds pathways to lucrative careers in the skilled trades for youth, women and marginalized communities.聽In her role, Faustin聽has launched key initiatives聽for the聽organization,聽including Adult Workforce Development, and expanded youth programming through partnerships with local government and community organizations.

Faustin聽received undergraduate聽degrees in聽corporate聽communications and Spanish from 黑料不打烊,聽before getting her聽master鈥檚 in business administration from聽the university聽in 2010.聽In 2016,聽she received her master鈥檚 in聽educational leadership and administration from Queens University, as well as a certification in聽nonprofit/public/organizational management from Duke University聽in 2022, and a聽certification in Diversity,聽Equity聽and Inclusion 鈥� Building a Diverse Workplace from Cornell University聽in 2023.

In 2023,聽Faustin聽was recognized聽with the Charlotte Business Journal鈥檚 Power 100聽award,聽and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Distinguished Alumni Service Award.聽In 2024, she聽received聽Atrium Health鈥檚 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Growing the Dream Award.
Faustin is also聽president-elect for the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Board, and founder and managing聽director of聽Stay Ready Consulting Solutions.

Her聽impact will be featured in the Most Admired CEO Special聽Section published in the June 19 issue of the Charlotte Business Journal.

Related Articles

• Strategic multifaith engagement shapes the 黑料不打烊 campus experience
• 黑料不打烊 welcomes ninth class of Multifaith Scholars

At 黑料不打烊, faculty say preparing students means helping them understand the people they will interact with throughout their lives, and that includes the influence of faith and religious identity.

That commitment to multifaith understanding is a primary goal of the university鈥檚 Multifaith Strategic Plan, which strives to 鈥渟upport opportunities for multifaith learning and engagement for all members of the academic community.鈥�

鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉�檚 Multifaith Strategic Plan is a promise to our students, faculty, staff and the wider community that we will take them seriously as whole, complex people,鈥� said Brian Pennington, director of the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture, and Society.

The multifaith experience

The Multifaith Scholars Program is a two-year program, founded in 2016, that emphasizes interdisciplinary learning as student scholars undertake original research projects and study in global contexts connected with religious diversity and multireligious societies.

鈥淥ur work is richer when we have students bringing questions from their own disciplines,鈥� said Amy Allocco, director of the program and professor of religious studies. 鈥淚t is a sign of a vibrant campus ecosystem when not only students but also their mentors can see their interests and expertise 聽intersect with questions of interreligious contact, religion and society.鈥�

Allocco says that the breadth of disciplines represented by students and mentors participating in the program has widened each year. The current cohort includes students with diverse majors such as psychology, theatrical design, history, economics consulting, political science, religious studies, and international and global Studies. Owen Hayes 鈥�26, a history major with minors in political science and religious studies, is a 2024-2026 Multifaith Scholar studying the historical and contemporary relationship between Christian missionaries and Indigenous Australians.

鈥淚’ve always been interested in understanding the interreligious encounters of the world, like global Christianity and understanding how different communities can come together and understand such an important religious concept in such different, varying ways, but still have that belief of Christianity,鈥� Hayes said.

The interreligious studies minor also allows students to analyze the historical and contemporary encounters between and interactions among religious communities and traditions.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� has done incredible work in enfranchising multifaith as an academic as well as a student affairs initiative and aligning and even blending those areas in meaningful ways that enhance the student experience,鈥� Allocco said.

Multifaith in the classroom (and clinic)

In the Department of Nursing, faculty don鈥檛 just train future healthcare professionals on specific medical assessments but, as Assistant Professor of Nursing Lori Hubbard says, they 鈥減repare students for the diversity in the populations they will serve,鈥� including religion.

鈥淒iversity in people is understanding their religious background, because religious practices are often infused into health practices and health beliefs,鈥� said Hubbard, who teaches the Healthcare Relationships course, which focuses on understanding diverse backgrounds in healthcare.

The course is just one component of the Department of Nursing鈥檚 commitment to equitable healthcare teaching, which is incorporated throughout the curriculum.

鈥淔rom birth to death and everywhere in between, the people that are going to be important in a person鈥檚 wellness or their healing may come from their church body,鈥� said Hubbard, who says they also want students to understand the role of the chaplain in a hospital setting. 鈥淧eople may have members of a church congregation bring them meals, they may have pastors and friends visit to pray with them. A person’s support network is a social determinant of health.鈥�

In December 2025, a faculty team consisting of Pennington, Jeanmarie Koonts, assistant professor of nursing; Molly Green, assistant professor of public health, and Helen Orr, assistant professor of religious studies, was awarded a $60,000 Faith & Health Campus Grant from Interfaith America to promote awareness of how religious diversity impacts healthcare space and medical decision-making.

Engineering a multifaith course

Along with nursing, several 黑料不打烊 courses across disciplines integrate multifaith understanding. Orr is co-teaching a new course, Engineering A Better World, with Professor of Engineering Sirena Hargrove-Leak on ethical practices in engineering.

鈥淩eligion is an important category for a lot of people, and it informs not only beliefs, but also everyday practice and ritual, including when people fast, how they dress and how they interact in professional spaces,鈥� Orr said. 鈥淥ne of our sessions in the course focuses on the value of multi-faith spaces in professional working environments. Those spaces can be beneficial both for religious people and non-religious people, while also encouraging us to think about how environments themselves can be designed to be more inclusive.鈥�

Hargrove Leak says the engineering curriculum requires an ethics course and, historically, faculty advised students to choose an ethics course through the Core Curriculum. The downside, she says, is they may not connect what they’re learning to engineering practice. This new course, she says, connects the dots directly.

鈥淭he work of engineering professionals has the potential to impact people directly; therefore, ethical practice is critically important,鈥� said Hargrove-Leak.

Communicating religion

While Orr and Hargrove-Leak鈥檚 course is new this semester, Professor of Journalism Anthony Hatcher has been studying and teaching the intersection of religion and media for more than 20 years. His course Religion and Media analyzes how the two interact through media coverage of religious issues and themes, religion’s use of television and the Internet and media portrayals of religious people and traditions.

Hatcher began teaching the course in 2003, coming from a longtime interest in the intersection of the two subjects.

鈥淚t has always sparked my interest how religion intersects not only with a news item, but how it intersects with popular culture,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 tell my students, 鈥業f there is a secular entity of some sort, there is a religious corollary to it.鈥欌��

Finding religious connections in culture is endless for Hatcher, who says he never runs out of material for the course. For one assignment, students must attend a house of worship outside of their own faith and do a research project on the experience. The projects range from more well-known religious practices to lesser-known, like a student who visited a coven of witches in Hillsborough, North Carolina

鈥淚 make it clear: this is not a religion class. I’m not here to teach you about the scripture,鈥� Hatcher said. 鈥淲hen they go (to these houses of worship), it’s not just a religious thing. I say, 鈥榃hat kind of media did they use? Do they have cameras? Do they have a single microphone? Do they use screens and slides? Is it a majestic organ? What are you seeing there? Did they give you a paper program? Everything that’s media.鈥� It gets them thinking about all the mediated ways that they experience religion.鈥�

The course is open to all majors, and Hatcher says it can be relevant for all professions.

鈥淭he subject matter is so important,鈥� Hatcher said. 鈥淚t’s like how study abroad is mind-broadening. I think understanding where somebody else comes from, especially if faith is a big part of who they are, is a big deal.鈥�

And for Pennington, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 approach to multifaith learning is an example for others to follow.

鈥淲e live in a moment where we can clearly see that the faith commitments and religious practices interact with our global politics, our legal systems, our media environments, and our healthcare systems,鈥� said Pennington. 鈥淏y attending to multifaith education across academic departments and programs, 黑料不打烊 is leading the way in preparing its students for a rapidly evolving world.鈥�

This story is part of a series of stories focusing on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Multifaith Strategic Plan.聽

Vasudha Narayanan, distinguished professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Religion, introduced Allocco鈥檚 keynote. Allocco focused her lecture on pampaikk膩rar, musicians who play the twin-headed set of drums known as pampai and sing to invoke the deities in diverse Hindu devotional contexts. Drawing on material from her recently completed sabbatical fieldwork project in Tamil-speaking South India, she highlighted the role of pampaikk膩rar as both musicians and ritual specialists who invoke deities through sound. She argued that these practitioners innovatively adapt their performances in response to changing aesthetic preferences, devotional needs and social contexts while both maintaining credibility and inspiring the 鈥済od-feeling鈥� referenced in the title of her presentation. Allocco also reflected on her own research methods, emphasizing how fieldwork relationships as well as lived traditions shape scholarly questions and, by extension, outcomes.

Following her address, Allocco met with graduate students for an hour-long seminar on methodologies for the study of religion, where emerging researchers had the opportunity to ask questions about ethnography and research ethics as well as their own projects. Participants read two of Allocco鈥檚 journal articles, which had been selected by conference organizers as the starting point for this seminar.

On Saturday morning, Allocco delivered welcome remarks to inaugurate the full day of paper sessions. The symposium was sponsored by the University of Florida鈥檚 Department of Religion with support from its Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere.

The primary goal of this project is to investigate the link between EBV and MS using a virtual clinical trial framework by testing three hypotheses: EBV resurgency, impaired B cell regulation, and molecular similarity between EBV antigens and myelin in genetically predisposed individuals.

The team has developed a within-host mathematical model of EBV infection, building on existing frameworks that incorporate epithelial and B cell dynamics, to examine which mechanisms are most likely to drive disease onset, with a current focus on immune cross-reactivity. The model will be further extended to include autoreactive immune responses and myelin damage, providing a more comprehensive representation of MS-related pathology.

During her visit, Ryu also delivered a colloquium talk titled 鈥淚mmune Dysregulation in COVID-19: What Can Mathematical Modeling Tell Us?鈥� based on her recently published work supported by the National Science Foundation. In the talk, she addressed why some individuals experience mild COVID-19 while others develop severe disease, presenting a mathematical framework that captures interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the immune system. Through computational simulations and sensitivity analysis, she demonstrated how variations in immune responses can lead to divergent disease trajectories and highlighted key mechanisms that influence disease progression.

Following her time in Sydney, Ryu will travel to the University of Melbourne in late April to help organize a two-week workshop, 鈥淐ollaborative Workshop for Under-Represented Genders Advancing Mathematical Biology,鈥� co-organized with Jenner. This will be held at for the mathematical sciences in Australia near the campus of the University of Melbourne.

These visits provide valuable opportunities to advance interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen international research connections in mathematical biology.

The conference, themed 鈥淭he Power of Story, Mental Health and Representation in Sport,鈥� begins at 10 a.m. and is open to all faculty, staff, students and community members. The conference may be of particular interest to student athletes and students majoring in human service studies, education, psychology, communications and public health.

The conference combines empathy, collaboration, critical reflection, storytelling, advocacy and networking to strengthen mental health for African American or Black identifying individuals and ally community members. The goal of the conference is to highlight wellness, belonging and access to support while elevating the experiences of Black athletes and the communities and identities they represent. The conference sessions will share why mental health matters and connect participants with tools, relationships and resources to encourage healing, growth and success beyond performance.

Participants can take part in breakout sessions, athlete and professional fire chats, gallery walks, community networking, keynote conversations, and workshops.

Featured speakers include NFL veteran and mental health advocate Marcus Smith II, community leader Lorenza Wilkins, Minority Women in Sports founder Andrea Durham, Selfly Enterpirise founder and therapist Adriana Londo帽o and founder of Epiphany-Hill Enterprises Amber Hill.

鈥淭his conference is personal to me,鈥� Cephus said. 鈥淎s a former track and field athlete, I know what it feels like to constantly chase being better and still feel like it is not enough. There were moments where I needed support and reassurance, and I did not always have that. The conference is me creating the space I wish existed for myself and for others, a space where people feel seen, heard and valued beyond what they produce.鈥�

The event provides conversation and practical education for participants to leave not only feeling understood but also equipped. It aims to reduce mental health stigma in athletic spaces, encourage identity development beyond performance, connect students with professionals and mentors, and introduce healthy coping and communication strategies.

The conference is centered in Cephus鈥檚 undergraduate research examining how racialized expectations influence the mental health experiences of Black female collegiate athletes.

鈥淭his research showed me that mental health in athletes cannot be understood without also understanding identity, race and the environments athletes are navigating,鈥� Cephus said.

Through interviews and demographic questionnaires with current and former collegiate athletes, she explored how these athletes experience pressure not just to perform but to represent strength, resilience and success without leaving room for vulnerability.

鈥淲hat I found is that many of these expectations become internalized, meaning athletes begin to measure their worth by how well they meet these narratives, even when it comes at the expense of their wellbeing,鈥� Cephus said. 鈥淭he conference translates this research into practice through guided conversations, workshops and mentorship opportunities.鈥�

Cephus wanted to do more beyond a research paper and created the conference for people to experience, engage with and grow from creating environments where athletes and students feel supported as whole people.

She hopes people walk away from the conference feeling seen and more connected to themselves and others.

鈥淚 want participants to understand that their worth is not defined by their performance, their tasks or what they produce,鈥� Cephus said. 鈥淚 also want them to leave with tools, language and support that they can carry with them beyond the conference.鈥�

.

Cephus is a human services studies major from Hoover, Alabama. The conference is hosted by the Poverty and Social Justice Program and sponsored by the Student Government Association.

Butterbach鈥檚 path to research started in a cell biology course taught by Assistant Professor of Biology Efrain Rivera-Serrano, where she consistently asked questions and engaged deeply with the material. This curiosity led her to join the interdisciplinary project.

鈥淚t was a very 鈥榬ight place, right time鈥� circumstance,鈥� Butterbach said. 鈥淭his research was exactly the sort of thing I was looking to get involved in.鈥�

Through her Lumen Prize, Butterbach is working alongside two faculty mentors from different fields of study, Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu and Rivera-Serrano, to study viral myocarditis, or heart inflammation, that occurs during the infection of many viruses. Her research is focused on examining the pathways that lead to excessive inflammation and how inflammation can be reduced without compromising the immune system鈥檚 ability to clear the virus.

鈥淢y research focuses on creating math out of biological reactions,鈥� Butterbach said. 鈥淯ltimately, the goal is to create a framework that helps us better understand and predict how cardiac inflammation progresses.鈥�

Viral myocarditis occurs when inflammation damages heart tissue, sometimes leading to long-term complications or sudden cardiac failure, particularly in young, active individuals. Although inflammation is a natural immune response, Butterbach鈥檚 research is exploring what causes that response to become excessive.

Butterbach uses mathematical modeling to integrate biology and immunology into a modeling framework to identify factors that most strongly drive harmful inflammation, revealing pathways that could be therapeutically targeted.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a balancing act to use equations to model what鈥檚 happening,鈥� Butterbach said. “If the model is too simple then it is not realistic to the human heart, but if the model is too complex, it becomes difficult to work with.鈥�

Taking an interdisciplinary approach

This research project鈥檚 strength lies in its collaboration and intersection between mathematics, biology and engineering. Mathematics offers the language and tools to create the models, while biology provides the foundation for understanding the disease. Engineering ties it together through design, problem-solving and a systems-level mindset.

鈥淭his project works precisely because it sits at the intersection of all three areas,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said. 鈥淓lise is especially well suited for this work because she is genuinely interested in connecting these disciplines rather than treating them as separate silos.鈥�

Ryu echoed this statement on Butterbach鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach.

鈥淓lise approaches research with a rare combination of intellectual curiosity, maturity and persistence, and she is genuinely committed to understanding how mathematics and biology inform one another,鈥� Ryu said. 鈥淗er ability to engage across disciplines and contribute thoughtfully at that intersection is what makes her such a strong and promising researcher.鈥�

Butterbach, Rivera-Serrano and Ryu meet weekly to refine their model, troubleshoot challenges and discuss literature.

鈥淭he steady back-and-forth is one of the strengths of the project,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said.

For Butterbach, working across disciplines has shaped how she approaches problems.

鈥淚鈥檝e always found that when different disciplines collide, it actually becomes easier to understand complex concepts,鈥� Butterbach said. 鈥淲orking across engineering, mathematics and virology is fascinating because each discipline approaches the same problem in a completely different way. Learning to think adaptively across disciplines and translate between them has been one of the most valuable parts of this experience.鈥�

Butterbach is motivated by the possibility of using interdisciplinary research to better understand human disease.

鈥淭he interdisciplinary nature and the way the team bring together mathematics, biology and engineering is not always easy to achieve, but Elise has embraced it fully and become an essential part of that process,鈥� Ryu said.

Collaborating on this research has been rewarding not only for Butterbach, but for her mentors as well.

鈥淲orking with Elise has been incredibly rewarding,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said. “She approaches a difficult project that requires her to be conversant in multiple disciplines with curiosity, maturity and persistence.鈥�

One takeaway she learned from working in disciplines outside of her major is that discoveries in one field almost always influence others.

鈥淏y learning how to think like a biologist, a mathematician and a physicist, I have become much more comfortable applying ideas from one subject to another, even when they seem unrelated at first.鈥�

She also values the work with her two mentors, Rivera-Serrano and Ryu, as they have helped her grow as a researcher.

鈥淒r. E spends a lot of time looking for resources that I can use to calculate the values of different parameters,鈥� Butterbach said. “Similarly, Dr. Ryu works tirelessly to not just improve my mathematical skills but also teaches me how to see mathematical theory working in the real world. They鈥檙e not just dedicated to this project; they鈥檙e also thinking about what comes next for me.”

Expanding her research

Butterbach was recently selected for a competitive Physical, Engineering and Biology Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Yale University, focused on physics, engineering and biology. Butterbach hopes to expand her research on the cardiovascular system.

鈥淓lise鈥檚 acceptance is especially meaningful because it reflects national-level recognition of her promise as an undergraduate researcher in an interdisciplinary space,鈥� Rivera-Serrano said.

For Butterbach, the opportunity was surprising and motivating.

鈥淚 tried not to set any grand expectations for myself, so when I received the email I was genuinely surprised to be selected for the program,鈥� Butterbach said. 鈥淚t felt incredibly validating of the hard work and dedication I鈥檝e put into my studies.鈥�

At Yale, the program, like her research, is interdisciplinary covering biology, physics and engineering. She will expand her experience in computational and biological modeling while working alongside researchers.

鈥淭o me, this program represents the opening of new doors,鈥� Butterbach said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to continue growing as a researcher, meet people working at the forefront of interdisciplinary science and explore new directions that I may not have encountered otherwise.鈥�