HARRISBURG, PA — On April 18, 2025, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) held its 7th Annual Student Research Symposium.
This year’s event featured 52 presentations (by 80 undergraduate students, graduate students, and their faculty advisors) across both poster sessions and oral talks. The day was filled with curiosity, innovation, and the culmination of intensive academic work. The wide range of projects reflected the persistence, creativity, and critical thinking that HU students bring to their classes, experiential learning, internships, and independent research projects.
“I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who helped make the 7th Annual Harrisburg University Research Symposium such a meaningful and successful event,” said Dr. Akeisha Belgrave, Program Lead for Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. “I want to not only congratulate our students, but also the faculty and staff who worked tirelessly with these students on their projects throughout the year. Also, a heartfelt thank you to our Interim President, Mr. David Schankweiler, for offering inspiring closing remarks to our students. Your presence was a great reminder of the value our university places on student education and success.”
“This 7th Annual Research Symposium has been nothing short of inspiring. Every year, we’ve seen the event get bigger, more innovative, and more closely tied to HU’s central mission, which is to foster inquiry, invention, and entrepreneurship. The research done at universities like ours has the power to drive economic growth; improve our quality of life; bring exciting new products and treatments to market; and make a positive impact in the world around us. After seeing all of these projects today, I’m more convinced than ever that the future is being built right here, by all of you. Your impact is going to be monumental.” — Interim President David Schankweiler
Dr. Belgrave continued: “Finally, and most importantly, to the students who presented — whether in-person or virtually from across the globe — congratulations! You brought passion and professionalism to your work, and HU is extremely proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
Please join us in congratulating the following student winners:
Morning Oral Presentations
- 1st Place: Gilberto Noronha (Computational Science)
- 2nd Place: Zixuan Liang (Computer Information Sciences)
- 3rd Place: Hema Sagar Endluri (Information Systems Engineering & Management)
“It was fun to talk about my research on random number generation with C++. I also enjoyed learning a bit more about the other students’ work. I’m looking forward to future editions of the Research Symposium!” — Gilberto Noronha
“It was an honor to present my research on automating date format detection, a key challenge in data visualization. Receiving Second Place is wonderful recognition of the effort to create more efficient data preparation tools, and I’m grateful for the experience.” — Zixuan Liang
“I’m truly honored to have been recognized at the Research Symposium. This achievement means a lot to me, as it reflects the hard work, passion, and dedication I’ve put into my research journey at Harrisburg University. Being acknowledged among such talented peers is both humbling and motivating, and it inspires me to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation in my field. Thank you again for the recognition and support!” — Hema Sagar Endluri
Morning Poster Sessions
- 1st Place: Yasudee Scott (Integrative Sciences)
- 2nd Place: Jeremy Pizarro (Biotechnology)
- 3rd Place: Jason Baldwin (Computer & Information Sciences)
“Participating in the HU Symposium was an incredible and eye-opening experience. Although I was initially nervous about presenting and concerned about effectively communicating the key takeaways of my research, the experience helped me grow past that anxiety and step into my role as a proud messenger of my work. I made it a priority to ensure that my research could be understood in layman’s terms, so that the core message would resonate with a wider audience. I also deeply appreciated the diversity of topics and the powerful origins behind everyone’s research. This experience was amazing, and I still can’t believe I won First Place for my section! A special thank you to my faculty advisor, Dr. Akeshia Belgrave, and the entire Integrative Sciences faculty for their constant support, guidance, and encouragement.” — Yasudee Scott
“I’m very honored to have my work recognized. To me, this achievement solidifies that I have chosen the right path in life. I could not have done it without my advisor, Dr. Jacquelyn Maddox. She made this whole process significantly easier, and for that I am truly grateful. I will strive to ensure all my future works will be even better than this one. Thank you all for the recognition.” — Jeremy Pizarro
Afternoon Oral Presentations
- 1st Place: Oliver Fogarty-Harnish (Forensics)
- 2nd Place: Gabrielle Spencer (Integrative Sciences)
- 3rd Place: Esther Popoola (Biotechnology)
Afternoon Poster Sessions
- 1st Place: Ashley Bonnet (Integrative Sciences)
- 2nd Place: Vaughn Kline (Integrative Sciences)
- 3rd Place: Benjamin McNertney & Jordan Greenfield (Integrative Sciences)
“I am incredibly grateful to the Integrative Sciences faculty, especially Dr. Belgrave and Dr. Wang, for their unwavering support and guidance throughout this project. Presenting at a professional conference for the first time was both exciting and empowering, and placing third in the poster session made it even more special. This win isn’t just a personal milestone; it’s also a proud moment for Harrisburg University and our first-ever poster session award at the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. It’s a powerful reminder of the promise within our institution and a call to shine a light on the brilliant scientists-in-training who are ready to lead, discover, and innovate.” — Ashley Bonnet
“The Harrisburg University Symposium is an incredible experience that lets students demonstrate their research in a manner that expresses their passion for the work they do. Getting to see all of my peers and the hard work and creativity they put into their projects is one of the coolest feelings in the world.” — Vaughn Kline
Harrisburg University thanks the faculty and staff members who served as advisors, judges, volunteers, and moderators; provided marketing and tech support, printed posters and handouts; and helped behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. Events like this would not be possible without your generous gifts of time and energy.
And, once again, congratulations to each of the student winners. Here’s to an even bigger and better Research Symposium in 2026!
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University was recently recognized by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s most innovative colleges. HU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, nursing, and other health science fields. For additional information about HU’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter).
