Milligan University hosted the 31st annual Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research Conference on April 10, marking the second consecutive year the university welcomed the event.
Students from institutions across the southern Appalachian region presented more than 100 research projects through poster sessions, oral presentations, and technical talks.
The conference provides undergraduate students with a supportive platform to showcase their research, practice presentation skills, build academic networks, and explore diverse scholarly fields.
This year’s event was held over a single day, with sessions running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The conference has a really motivating vibe, honestly,” said Suzy Aguirre, a senior. “It feels like everyone here is passionate, curious and supportive of themselves and of each other.”
The BRURC overlapped with Milligan’s 12th annual RISE Above Research Conference, creating space for graduate students from Milligan and other institutions to participate as well.
In addition to Milligan and Emmanuel Christian Seminary, student participants represented East Tennessee State University, King University, Tusculum University, Emory & Henry College, Johnson University, Lincoln Memorial University, Carson-Newman University and Johns Hopkins University, among others.
“You can tell that students genuinely care about their work and about connecting with others in their fields and building those network connections,” Aguirre said.
header image: Maxwell Brown presenting his research, by Miriam Zeise
About The Author
Emily Haas is a freshman from Hildesheim, Germany. She is a journalism major and a member of Milligan’s swim team. She enjoys traveling, reading, and finding geocaches.