Each year Fairfield students from nearly every discipline and field of study collaborate with faculty mentors to develop creative research projects that extend from the classroom to the real world. These projects are shared at the annual Innovative Research Symposium, a signature Fairfield University event that will be held on April 25 from noon – 4:30 p.m. at the Barone Campus Center. The Fairfield community is invited to take part in this special day and learn more about our students’ research, including: capstone Nursing and Health Studies projects; research by Sigma Xi students in mathematics, psychology, and the natural sciences; and undergraduate, graduate, and independent projects.

“The 2019 annual Innovative Research Symposium captures the spark of imagination that ignites our students to collaborate with faculty, to pursue answers to questions whether in a lab or a community garden, close to home or across the globe,” said Jocelyn M. Boryczka, PhD, associate vice provost for scholarly, creative, and community engagement. “This year’s Symposium showcases students’ creative research from across disciplines and the rigorous scholarship at the heart of Fairfield University’s academic mission. This signature Fairfield event bookends our academic year as a celebration of exciting scholarly endeavors of our students and faculty.”

The works and projects on display will highlight the importance of Fairfield University’s Jesuit mission by promoting scholarship through service, international engagement, and the pursuit of work that contributes to the common good. Research will be presented by individual students or a group of students through a poster display summarizing the project.

Learn more about a few of the projects that will be presented at the Symposium:

Julia Nojem ’19 – The Green Village Initiative
In partnership with the Green Village Initiative, environmental studies major Julia Nojem ’19 has conducted research in 13 local community gardens to measure their effects on social cohesion, fiscal impact for the community, and how they serve residents’ health, well-being, and engagement.

Eunsun "Sunny" Hong ‘19 - The Gambia Girls
Passionate about improving access to feminine hygiene products to women worldwide, Eunsun "Sunny" Hong ’19 collaborated with two organizations, Starfish International and Days for Girls. Through her work, Hong brought feminine hygiene kits to middle and high school girls in the Gambia.

Katherine Biardi ’19 and Teresa Sauer ’20 – Ecological Algal Bloom
With the help of their faculty mentor Jennifer Klug, PhD, Katherine Biardi ’19, a biology and environmental studies double major, and Teresa Sauer ’20, a biology major, have been in the lab doing ecology research focusing on algal blooms and the public health implications in our local environment.