黑料不打烊 Assistant Professor of Journalism听Israel Balderas was featured in a recent examining campaign press access in North Carolina鈥檚 closely watched U.S. Senate race. The story explored recent decisions by the campaigns of Republican Michael Whatley and Democrat Roy Cooper to restrict access to certain media outlets during campaign events and the implications for voters.

Balderas, a First Amendment attorney and former journalist, emphasized the important role journalists play in helping the public stay informed.

鈥淚f you take the reporter out, it鈥檚 not that you鈥檙e getting less information, it鈥檚 that you鈥檙e getting information nobody checked,鈥� Balderas said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the issue because in a free society, the idea is that voters want to be well-informed so they can make their own judgment come Election Day, but you take that out of the equation, and it鈥檚 the voter that loses.鈥�

Balderas explained that reporters serve as stand-ins for voters who cannot attend campaign events themselves, documenting what candidates say and do. He noted that banning reporters from these events is a “Trump strategy,” and one that won’t work in this election.

He added that what鈥檚 driving the electorate now on both sides of the aisle and for independents is that people are tired of a system that is rigged.

鈥淚 think … authenticity is what voters are craving and maybe in the past, this would have been red meat for the people on the right, but this is a general election in a purple state where 2-3% of the electorate are going to decide this election,鈥� Balderas said. 鈥淢aybe him saying no to … The Assembly, that鈥檚 going to stir up his base, but the fact that you are excluding the press is going to send a signal, that well, is Michael hiding something?鈥�

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• 黑料不打烊 holds largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum
• Personal experience inspires 黑料不打烊 student鈥檚 research to help children experiencing homelessness

Dozens of students showcased research projects inspired by personal experiences and academic interests, guided by faculty mentorship, during the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The most recent SURE symposium featured more than 50 students from both 黑料不打烊 and Queens University of Charlotte, marking the latest example of collaboration between two institutions in the process of merging into a united community.

鈥淪URE continues to be one of the flagship events of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program. This poster session is a celebration of their dedication and growth as budding young scholars,鈥� said Justin Clar, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of chemistry. 鈥淚 was especially pleased that we were joined by amazing students from Queens who shared their work with the 黑料不打烊 community.鈥�

At 黑料不打烊, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience has for years provided student researchers with a stipend to spend eight weeks working full-time on a project in collaboration with a faculty mentor with substantial and recognized expertise in the discipline.

The program concludes every July with a symposium that deepens students鈥� knowledge of the research experience while offering an opportunity to grow their public speaking and presentation skills.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to share their summer research in a low-stakes environment,” said Kira McEntire, director of undergraduate research and creative work; and associate professor of biology at Queens. “It was also fun to see the 黑料不打烊 students sharing their summer projects and to learn about some of the interests of 黑料不打烊 colleagues.”

At Queens, the university holds its annual in the spring, a campus-wide celebration of academic inquiry and community impact. The day starts with oral and poster presentations, followed by service activities in the afternoon.

Personal connections

For many students at SURE, like 黑料不打烊 student听Thomas Gress 鈥�27, projects carried a deeply personal connection. Gress designed a four-week study comparing exercise approaches for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, inspired in part by his brother鈥檚 experience with the condition.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include difficulty thinking, severe tiredness, and other issues.

鈥淏efore I started this project, (my brother had) been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight. So, this was something small that I could do to be of use,鈥� said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. 鈥淔or all of these patients, there鈥檚 no other option. There are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.鈥�

Queens student Isabella Sherman 鈥�27 has a love for nature that inspired her to explore plant communities at the Carolina Wildlands Foundation with mentor E. Davis Carter, assistant professor of biology at Queens.

鈥淚t was an excellent experience,鈥� said Sherman, a conservation biology major from Charlotte. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really close to what I want to do with my career. I love research, I love forestry, and every time I went out there, I was like, 鈥楾his is exactly what I want to do.鈥� This kind of information is what people take into consideration when they鈥檙e trying to develop land or provide an additional environment for fauna and flora.鈥�

Mentoring relationships

A common thread among many of the projects was the close relationship students developed with their faculty mentors.

Anna Grace Gilbert 鈥�27, an 黑料不打烊 psychology major from Knoxville, Tennessee, says Associate Professor of Psychology Sabrina Perkins 鈥渃ompletely changed鈥� her undergraduate experience through their work studying infant motor development.

鈥淚鈥檝e worked with (Professor Perkins) technically since the summer of my freshman year. I just reached out to her and was like, 鈥業 love babies. I鈥檇 love to work with you,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful. We鈥檝e really bonded over these almost three years.鈥�

For Jack VanValkenburg 鈥�27, a Queens student majoring in data analytics, undergraduate research provided an opportunity to apply his technical skills. He worked with Queens Assistant Professor of Biology Denni Einersson to develop a computerized system for organizing trash collected during community cleanup events.

鈥淚t was a great opportunity to work with people who know more than me. The coding that I鈥檝e done in the past is more analytical and this was more developmental,鈥� said VanValkenburg, who is from Atlanta. 鈥�(Clean-up crews) would go out with field cards, like pencil and paper, and just mark things down, which was super timely and it鈥檚 very inconvenient, and then that just led to a lot of data that wasn鈥檛 being used.”

Pushing through the learning process

黑料不打烊 business analytics major Chase Hannibal 鈥�28 examined the sense of belonging among Black business students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. It can sometimes feel isolating as a Black female business student, Hannibal said.

鈥淚 just wanted to see if other students felt that way, and if it was a pattern, what could be fixed,鈥� Hannibal said. 鈥�(I wanted to) let other students know that you鈥檙e not alone.鈥�

Hannibal says her mentor, Shanetta Pendleton, assistant professor of strategic communications, pushed her to be better, even when she was at her 鈥渟topping point.鈥�

鈥淓ven when I felt at the worst of the worst, she supported me throughout everything,鈥� Hannibal said. 鈥淪he was great, and I鈥檓 very excited to work with her in the future.鈥�

Amelia Weaver 鈥�28 also explored the experiences of college students, particularly women. Her 黑料不打烊 Honors Fellows research examines the motivations of college-aged women who participate in sports betting after she noticed women were less vocal about the topic in class discussions.

鈥淚t made me think about why the women in the class weren鈥檛 as talkative or excited about their own experiences with sports betting,鈥� said Weaver, a sport management and media analytics double major with a minor in . 鈥淚 wondered if this was because they didn鈥檛 participate, didn鈥檛 care, or they just didn鈥檛 want to say anything.鈥�

Weaver said her mentor, Alex Traugutt, an assistant professor of sport management, has helped guide her through the process.

鈥淗e immediately said, 鈥楾his is going to be a partnership. We鈥檙e going to take steps together. We鈥檙e going to figure this out together. I鈥檓 not just going to throw you into everything,鈥欌�� said Weaver. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been really helpful in the learning process.鈥�

This year, an international teaching team from England and Ireland designed and taught a course called Your Place in the World: Exploring Identity, Sustainability, and AI. This interactive course engaged Scholars in several central questions: Who are you? How does the world around you work? And where do you belong in it?

Engaging pedagogical approaches like photovoice, campus mapping and reflective journals allowed scholars to engage deeply with course content. Scholars participated in activities to learn about the environmental landscape, the ethical use of AI, and navigating belonging in different spaces. One member of the teaching team, Aoife Prendergast from the Technical University of the Shannon in Ireland, said that a highlight of the course was

“Diving into the rich, lived experiences shared through the narratives of the group. The most powerful moments came from hearing the scholars weave their personal life stories into their visions for the future,” said听Aoife Prendergast from the Technical University of the Shannon in Ireland, one of the members of the teaching team. “Watching everyone reflect on what ‘belonging’ truly means both personally and professionally created a deeply collaborative and resonant atmosphere in the room. It is clear that these narratives are shaping some truly inspiring and thoughtful pathways for the future!”

This international teaching team and transatlantic approach to this course allowed scholars to engage with a different set of cultures and a different concept of what education can be. Scholars were able to form deep connections with each other, their teaching team and the course content in ways that encouraged them to apply it to their futures.

鈥淭hroughout the three weeks, this class really opened my eyes and drew me to a new perspective of the world,” one scholar said. “We learned about perspectives of the world and how we all see the world differently, and we connected it to AI and how AI picks up on our culture and creates its own perspectives through patterns. The instructors always made me feel like I belong and they allowed me to open my mind and curiosity.鈥�

Another Scholar shared how the course inspired them to see community in a different light.

鈥淭his class gave me the opportunity to meet people outside of the country where I live and to see how community can be built in different environments,” another scholar reflected. “Every day was engaging and we were always doing something hands-on that made the course exciting. The instructors all came from different backgrounds, which felt so diverse, and I loved hearing about their cultures. I felt both academically and intellectually challenged in the course, which made me critically think about who I am in this world and how we can connect that to AI.鈥�

Tom Ritchie from the University of Warwick in the UK served as the lead instructor and designed the course in partnership with Evan Small, the 黑料不打烊 Academy faculty scholar. As a Fulbright Scholar, Ritchie was able to provide 黑料不打烊 Academy students with an exposure to additional post-graduate international education opportunities.

“This course exemplifies what makes 黑料不打烊 Academy so special – the willingness of our faculty, partners and supporters to create transformative learning experiences that expand our Scholars’ perspectives and help them see themselves as part of a much larger world,” said Emily Wiersma, director of the 黑料不打烊 Academy. “Through this collaborative course, our scholars were challenged to think critically, embrace new perspectives, build meaningful connections across cultures, and develop the confidence, curiosity, and global mindset that will serve them well in college, their careers, and their communities.”

When sudden shutdowns canceled their in-person sessions at听, a Down syndrome achievement center, they quickly pivoted online, bringing interactive music therapy right into participants’ living rooms.听

During their sessions, Queens听alumnae听Yenchun听Ko 鈥�21, Gabrielle Frens 鈥�22 and Molli Smith 鈥�22 documented their findings, and听this past听June, their work was published in听听

Funded by a grant through the听James Rogers Summer Institute for Research and Creative Work听and听guided听by Varvara Pasiali, Livingstone Professor of Music Therapy at Queens, the team highlighted the core philosophy behind their听virtual听sessions,听a concept known as “musicking,” originally developed by musicologist Christopher Small.听

鈥�’Musicking鈥� is taking music as a noun and turning it into a verb,” Pasiali听said.听“It captures the idea that music exists in the act of actually making it.听Everyone participates in some way in a musical event; they aren’t just sitting passively receiving it.”听听

To turn that active concept into reality听virtually, the student-therapists played live instruments, used structured musical cues, and designed interactive movement prompts that kept participants engaged across the screen. At the same time, parents听joined in听as active co-facilitators,听rocking, swaying, and making music alongside their children to foster meaningful bonding directly in their living rooms.听

GiGi鈥檚 Playhouse Charlotte Executive Director Lori Keller has seen firsthand how that philosophy听impacted听the lives of children and individuals living with developmental disabilities.听

鈥淢usic brings us together as a community and engages parts of the brain in ways that no other therapy can,鈥� Keller said. 鈥淚t creates opportunities for cognitive and social growth, while also improving language and communication. I must admit that the most immediate benefit听I’ve听witnessed听has been expressions of joy. And that is priceless.”听

Seeing their hard work officially reach the broader clinical community through the peer-reviewed publication has been a deeply rewarding, full-circle moment for the former students.听

“It was surreal to learn that this study would be published,” Smith said. “I felt very proud of younger me for stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new.”听

Frens echoed that pride. “To have something published in my name feels like a very big deal,” she听said.听“The whole publishing process takes a long time, but I am especially proud of the team for how we collaborated and maintained the integrity of what we did.”听

Ko听shared in听that excitement when she learned the news. “When I was informed that it was going to be published, I was thrilled,” Ko said. “I learned a great deal from this opportunity, from session planning to collaborating with my classmates and composing therapeutic music.”听

After graduating from Queens, the听alumnae听found that their undergraduate research directly shaped their clinical success.听

“Participating in this study helped me prepare for a professional career in many ways,” Smith said. “Not only did I grow more confident in my writing skills and analytical thinking,听it听boosted my skills in observing and documenting client responses. As a professional, I听currently听treat an individual client virtually and I felt entirely equipped to deliver those telehealth services because of this project.”听

Smith currently works as a board-certified music therapist at Piedmont Music Therapy, a local nonprofit in Charlotte, where her caseload spans from early childhood to older adults in memory care. Frens is completing her graduate degree online through Duquesne University while working as a board-certified music therapist at Atrium Health Mercy. Ko recently completed her master’s degree at Molloy University as she prepares for the next step in her clinical career.听

“Having their work published by a peer-reviewed clinical journal builds their identity as scientists and their confidence in doing research,” Pasiali said, noting that the students also co-presented their findings at a regional music therapy conference and led a virtual continuing education seminar for music therapists in Cyprus.听

For all three听alumnae, the project was the ultimate reflection of the Queens motto, 鈥淣ot to be served, but to serve.鈥�听

鈥淭hat attitude of how to serve and care for others well really aligns with music therapy,鈥� Frens said听鈥淚 feel that music therapy in general, and especially in the work that I do, is in a position to serve others and not expect service back to ourselves.听“Smith agreed. “As a music therapist, I always aim to serve my clients in the best way I can鈥攎eeting them where they are, supporting their needs, and amplifying their individuality, creativity, and听successes,鈥� she said.听鈥淚t brings me such joy to do so.”听

For Ko, that spirit of service came to life in the quiet, musical moments shared between the children and their families.听

“When I played my violin during one of the sessions, I saw participants swaying back and forth with their parents,” Ko recalled. “Seeing that precious bond and their response through the music made me realize just how meaningful and impactful our work really was.”

At the conference, faculty members Shirley Etienne, Jeanmarie Koonts and Lori Hubbard also highlighted unique features of the innovative 黑料不打烊 Nursing curriculum scaffolded to build equity competence through intentional community and global engagement. Nursing courses delivered across the sophomore, junior, and senior years focus on population health concepts, social and structural determinants of health, and patient advocacy.

Etienne, who recently championed an Advancing Equity Requirement (AER) designation for NRS 2000 Healthcare Relationships I, shared how students critically examine their own cultural identities, biases and values to understand how these factors influence practice. Experiential learning occurs through an Affinity Bias Analysis, cultural immersion activity, and Bridging Racial Health Disparities group project focused on advocacy and nursing interventions.

Hubbard expounded on students鈥� opportunities in NRS 4200 Population and Community Health to critically analyze community-level health disparities, identify barriers to equitable care, and develop and implement strategies to promote health during clinical rotations in the local community. Hubbard was also featured in a poster session with results from her study 鈥淐hildbirth Self-Efficacy and Factors Influencing Labor and Birth in the Dominican Republic.”

Koonts finished the presentation by describing how the preparatory seminar and both NRS 4300 (local) and NRS 4315 (global) Healthcare Relationships II foster intercultural awareness, ethical engagement, and global health literacy. Through the intentional design and sequence of these courses, 黑料不打烊 nursing students examine intersectionality and cultural influences on health outcomes. They develop responsibility as local and global citizens committed to reducing health disparities.

During the recent accreditation process, curriculum design to promote competence in health equity was highlighted as one of the most compelling features of the 黑料不打烊 Nursing program. Program outcomes demonstrate increased cultural humility, population health competency, and a deeper understanding of the structural determinants of health. This experiential, evidence-based model exemplifies how nursing programs can intentionally cultivate equity competence that bridges theory and practice to prepare nurses for inclusive, compassionate, and globally responsive and informed care.

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

“The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest milestones in a student鈥檚 life, and after working with first-year students for many years, I鈥檝e learned that one of the most common things they say is 鈥業 wish I had known what to expect,鈥�” said Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs. 鈥淧hoenix Summer gives students the opportunity to experience college before they get here full time.鈥�

Students lived in the residence halls, navigated campus, ate in the dining hall, learned from 黑料不打烊 faculty, connected with staff and explored the academic and social opportunities 黑料不打烊 has to offer.

Students selected two courses to take throughout the camp, including Order in the court!, An introduction to law and justice, taught by Shilanka Lewis, assistant professor of law; Chemistry in the kitchen, taught by Mary McManamy, associate teaching professor of chemistry; Exploring astronomical and poetic light, taught by Claudine Moreau, assistant teaching professor of physics; and Start-up Spring: concept to creation, taught by Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship and Dan Reis, assistant director of creative learning technologies.

鈥淭he Phoenix Summer faculty were truly the highlight of this pre-college experience,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭heir enthusiasm, passion and genuine engagement with their subject matter inspired students to see college as a place to explore their interests and discover new possibilities.鈥�

Each day the students spent time learning and engaging in the classroom through a variety of hands-on lessons.

“The law class was my favorite part of the camp,鈥� said Ava Hendricks, an eleventh grade student from Raleigh, North Carolina. 鈥淚 have always been interested in law and what we have been doing in the class to prepare for a mock trial has been so cool. Phoenix Summer gave me the opportunity to picture college. I would never have known what college would be like without this possibility.鈥�

During the day, students participated in their courses, while evenings and weekends were filled with social events, activities, several off-campus excursions and signature 黑料不打烊 experiences to help students build community. Activities students participated in included a trivia night, human bingo, s鈥檓ore making, karaoke, a water balloon fight and a sip and paint.

“My favorite parts of the camp were meeting new people, living in a dorm and attending the classes,鈥� said Sienna Rohan, a twelfth grade student from Greensboro, Georgia. “It鈥檚 been nice meeting new people, and I鈥檝e learned a lot about 黑料不打烊.鈥�

Higgins’ hope is that students left the camp听with not only a greater appreciation for 黑料不打烊, but also a renewed excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead as the students transition from high school to college.

鈥淭he primary goal of Phoenix Summer is to provide high school students with an authentic college experience that builds confidence, independence and a sense of belonging before they begin their college journey,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭he most exciting part of the camp was watching the students truly thrive in the experiences we intentionally designed for them.

鈥淚 watched them blossom from students who arrived on the first day feeling nervous and uncertain about what to expect into confident, engaged learners 鈥� and, in the case of our Order in the Court students, budding lawyers in training. I hope they leave believing in themselves. Whether they ultimately choose 黑料不打烊 or another institution, I hope 黑料不打烊 will always hold a special place in their hearts as the place where they first experienced college and began to see themselves as future college students.鈥�

For more information about Phoenix Summer and information about future camps, contact Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs, at thiggings7@elon.edu.

听in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she focuses on family law and immigration. In the profile, Seymour reflects on the challenges and rewards of changing careers later in life and encourages others not to let age stand in the way of pursuing meaningful work.

“The most obvious thing that anybody could ever say, but it had not occurred to me that I could actually be different or just change. It shifted for me,” Seymour told People.

Seymour has remained closely connected to 黑料不打烊 Law since graduating in 2017. , she regularly mentors students, supports experiential learning opportunities and has partnered with the law school on pro bono initiatives that expand access to legal services while providing students with valuable hands-on experience.

Last year, Seymour supervised students participating in a power of attorney clinic in partnership with FaithAction International, a project that earned the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2026 Law School Pro Bono Project of the Year Award. She wrote the letter of recommendation to the bar association that led to the students’ recognition.

to learn more about Seymour’s inspiring career journey and the lessons she hopes others will take from it.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) recently welcomed Assistant Professor of Education, Nermin Vehabovic, as a guest lecturer in its Refugee Education course. Invited by Sofia Noori, assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Nermin engaged teacher candidates in examining the role of stories in refugee education through the guiding question, “How do we listen to the stories of others?”

Situated on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people in Vancouver, and connected through the broader traditional territories of Indigenous nations across British Columbia, UBC is recognized as a global center for research and teaching and is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world.

Noori’s Refugee Education course prepares teacher candidates to better understand the histories, lived experiences and educational realities of children and youth from refugee backgrounds. The course explores how schools, classrooms, and community partnerships can foster equitable learning environments while strengthening relationships with newcomer families and communities.

Rather than delivering a traditional lecture, Nermin designed an interactive, participatory session grounded in the principles of his scholarship on humanizing 听education. He invited teacher candidates to reflect on their own stories before considering how educators can cultivate classrooms where the stories, languages, identities, and ways of knowing of children, youth, and families from refugee backgrounds are genuinely heard and valued.

“My intention was for us to be in community with one another as colleagues and educators,” Nermin said. “I wanted the experience to model the very practices we hope to cultivate in schools鈥攍istening, relationality and learning with others rather than simply teaching to them.”

Throughout the session, participants explored the importance of unlearning deficit perspectives, assumptions, savior mentalities and monolingual expectations that can limit meaningful engagement with students and families. The discussion emphasized ethical listening as a foundational practice for building culturally sustaining and humanizing classrooms.

Nermin also shared examples from Welcome New Neighbor, the community-engaged initiative he founded through 黑料不打烊’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. The program partners teacher candidates with families from refugee backgrounds through home-based literacy experiences that position families’ languages, cultures, and knowledge as educational assets. During the session, he highlighted how the initiative prepares teacher candidates to build reciprocal relationships with multilingual families while reimagining homes as important spaces of learning, belonging, and affirmation.

Drawing on his research, Nermin also discussed the interconnected roles of transnationalism, translanguaging, picturebooks and family literacies in supporting refugee-background children and youth, as well as their families. Participants considered how storytelling can become a vehicle for cultivating belonging, honoring identities and strengthening relationships between schools and communities.

The invitation reflects Nermin’s growing international collaborations in literacy and teacher education, as well as his ongoing scholarship centered on humanizing educational practices and preparing educators to work alongside families across culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The day started in the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement on July 16, 2026, with Queens鈥� first-ever College Coffee, an 黑料不打烊 tradition that offers students, faculty and staff weekly opportunities during the semester to connect over coffee and pastries.

鈥淭his is a powerful morning,鈥� Queens Acting President and CEO Jesse Cureton said in remarks to attendees. 鈥淵ou’re going to learn today a lot about Queens and the history of the university, but as I鈥檝e shared with so many, Queens is not just about this campus – it鈥檚 about a 170-year history, and it’s about this phenomenal city, one of the fastest-growing in the country. Sports, healthcare, manufacturing, energy – all these things are creating opportunities for our students.鈥�

Following a campus tour for 黑料不打烊 visitors, employees from both locations participated in an interactive professional development workshop, “Own the Moment: Practical Tools for Navigating Change with Confidence,” led by Rochelle Stojnic, director of the Office of Leadership and Professional Development at 黑料不打烊.

Grounded in the idea that the most meaningful moments during institutional transitions occur in ordinary, everyday interactions, the session provided attendees with strategies to approach organizational evolution with a curious and open perspective.

Employees were encouraged to serve as a steady, grounding presence for colleagues and students, and learned how to leverage personal and collective strengths to fuel community growth.

“This is a historic transition, and navigating it successfully requires an ‘all hands on deck’ approach,鈥� Stojnic said. 鈥淟eadership isn鈥檛 just for a few people at the top. Everyone needs to feel empowered to lead through this change, which starts with understanding how we handle transition personally.鈥�

鈥淎t 黑料不打烊, prioritizing professional development is a core value. We invest heavily in our people because we believe that for our universities to grow and get better, our employees must have the space to expand their skills, navigate uncertainty with balance, and feel genuinely supported along the way.”

Shawn Bowers, director of the General Education Program at Queens, attended the professional development session.

“As an educator, I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I deeply appreciate how both institutions invest in us as holistic individuals. When resources and energy are poured into faculty and staff, it allows us to show up as the best versions of ourselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淯ltimately, that yields incredible dividends for our students, who are the main constituents we serve.”

The collaborative energy of the workshop and joint sessions highlighted a shared commitment to building a unified, resilient community.

Here鈥檚 what employees from both campuses had to say about the exchange:

• “When two universities have this much overlap, there’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from one another and adopt the best processes from both sides. It’s also a two-way street: both 黑料不打烊 and Queens share the benefit of communicating ideas and resources. The prospect of bettering our programs, becoming more efficient, and thriving together is not just rewarding, but exciting. I can’t wait to see where this road leads us.”
  Jackson Mair
  Coordinator, Vandiver Center for Career Development, Queens

• 鈥淭he professional development session provided us with practical tools for real-life change. The 鈥榳hy鈥� of this exchange became obvious when a Queens colleague and an 黑料不打烊 colleague from the same department shared their experiences navigating the merger. Watching them find comfort and laughter in their shared experience showed the true value of the exchange. It breaks down walls and helps us realize we are building on common ground.鈥�
  Loretta Evivie
  Professor of Practice of Leadership, Queens

• 鈥淭he thing that really struck me during my visit is the way in which 黑料不打烊 and Queens share an approach to education. The two student tour guides said many of the same things I鈥檝e told prospective 黑料不打烊 students: small classes, faculty who are available and dedicated to students, a focus on hands-on learning, and even classrooms arranged so that the students can work together. I had the opportunity to meet some of the physics/math faculty, and we talked about ways we can support each other. We鈥檙e hopeful that we can develop programs that take advantages of our shared strengths.鈥�
  Jonathan Su
  Associate Professor of Engineering, 黑料不打烊

• 鈥淚 still have many questions about the merger, but I am excited by the prospect of internship pipelines for our students in key sectors like professional sports, medicine, finance, and the arts. I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely Myers Park neighborhood and the look and feel of the campus, which is quite similar to 黑料不打烊’s. Many thanks to the entire 黑料不打烊-Queens team for setting things up for our first College Coffee there!鈥�
  Pamela Winfield
  Professor of Religious Studies and Associate Director of International & Global Studies, 黑料不打烊

• 鈥淏y offering College Coffee at Queens, it creates a bridge between our two cultures. Queens has a really nice location for College Coffee in the summer, which is very similar to what 黑料不打烊 offers at Moseley Center. Both places are a great way to escape the heat, grab something to drink or eat, and have a conversation with someone on campus that you don鈥檛 get to see in person.鈥�
  Doug Purnell
  Assistant Director of Data Architecture and听Reporting, 黑料不打烊

The pilgrimage was organized by 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Catholic Life in partnership with Vocatio Travel and was led by Father Peter Tremblay, associate chaplain for Catholic Life, and Kiara Cronin, student ministry coordinator for Catholic Life. The journey took the participants to and from Rome and then to Franciscan sites in the towns of La Verna, Assisi, Gubbio and Greccio.

The group first started in Rome, which included a visit to Vatican City. There, they received the opportunity to attend Pope Leo XIV鈥檚 papal audience, generally given on Wednesdays when the pope is in Rome. The audience included pilgrims and visitors from around the world.听 Angela DeFlorio 鈥�28 shared her experience seeing Pope Leo,

鈥淚t was a once in a lifetime experience! I loved getting to watch him bless all the babies there, and the atmosphere was amazing. I found it really interesting that he did his best to address everyone in their native language, and it made his address feel very welcoming and personal,” said Angela DeFloria 鈥�28.

After the audience, the group also toured St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. The group then traveled north to visit the medieval city of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. One of the most well-known and beloved Catholic figures, he is often referred to as the 鈥減oor little man鈥� and is the patron saint of animals, ecology and the environment. St. Francis died in 1226, making this jubilee year the 800th anniversary of his death.

Among the sites that the group visited were the Basilica of St. Francis, the Basilica of St. Clare, the nearby town of Gubbio where St. Francis tamed a wolf, and the nearby town of Greccio where St. Francis set up the very first nativity scene. In the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis rests the saint鈥檚 tomb, and there the group attended a private Mass celebrated by Tremblay.

鈥淚 could feel the presence of God there as well as the spirit of St. Francis,” said Tremblay of visiting the tomb of St. Francis.

Many within the group appreciated the opportunity to learn about St. Francis more deeply.

鈥淏eing on the journey with Fr. Peter really added to this learning as he shared his knowledge of St. Francis’s life, order, and spirituality,” said Ben Carraher 鈥�28 “Hearing from friars and priests that dedicated their lives to God through the Franciscan way of life was the absolute best way to visit and learn about Francis and the Franciscan movement.鈥�

鈥淚 learned so much about St. Francis and feel a deeper connection with him, embracing lessons of simplicity and humility that I want to carry throughout my life,” said Anahy Felipe de Cruz 鈥�26

The pilgrimage brought the group back to Rome for their last few days. They visited the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, where Tremblay explained that there were 500,000 graves of the early Christians, and the many people buried here are considered martyrs by the Catholic church.

鈥淭hese people willingly died for their faith. The thought of all these graves opening and a huge crowd of people walking out of the catacombs, at the second coming of Christ, to greet Jesus was very emotional to me,鈥� Tremblay shared, referring to the Christian belief that Jesus will return physically to Earth at the end of time.听 He celebrated another private Mass with the pilgrimage group inside the catacombs.

Beyond their experience meeting the pope, visiting St. Francis鈥檚 birthplace and tomb, and touring the catacombs, the group also spent their last day learning to make pasta.

鈥淚 really liked the pasta-making class, and I actually learned a few tips and tricks from Chef Alberto that I took home and used to make my own pasta! I, of course, really loved the gelato, and I had a ton of fun trying some new dishes I never would have gotten to try otherwise,鈥� DeFlorio said.

The group hopes to take their experience and knowledge back onto 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus and share with others.