NEWS

President Doug Hicks spoke to the crowd at the symposium.

The weather cooperated until the very end, and the 2025 symposium was a huge success.

The annual celebration of student research, community projects, and creative work took center stage on the Davidson campus on Thursday, May 8, with more than 700 students participating.

As promised, there were numerous live musical performances like this one from Appalachian Ensemble.

The event, held on Richardson plaza and surrounding buildings, was free and open to the public and included numerous live music performances.

The Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium is named for Beverly F. Dolan Professor Emerita of Biology, founding director of the John Crosland Jr., Center for Teaching and Learning, and Davidson’s first Associate Dean of Faculty, Verna Miller Case. While Case retired in July 2019, she still lives in Davidson and remains active in the community – including teaching courses with DavidsonLearns.

Verna Miller Case and her sons at the 2019 symposium.

The gift was made possible by her children – Jeff Case ’99, his wife, Lisa Green Case ’99, Jordan Case ’03, and his wife Johana Soto Case – to honor her 45 years of service to Davidson.

Professor Case’s career has touched many, including the more than four decades of students who entered her classroom for advice, counsel, and friendship. She also had a profound impact on the students who traveled with her to Mwandi, Zambia – something she still does in her professor emerita capacity.  She also mentored Davidson’s first Posse cohort.

This symposium was a dream of Professor Case’s for many years, and it began in 2017 as the Alenda Lux: Symposium with 350 participants. In 2018, the event grew to more than 600 student presentations, posters, and performances, and the faculty elected to dedicate the last day of spring semester classes to the symposium.

Standing in front of the Solar Boat are (left to right) Dr. John Yukich and students Henry Russell and Phillip Man.

The 2019 event featured more than 900 students across all disciplines. Regrettably, the 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hybrid event in 2021 featured more than 775 students presenting more than 470 projects. In 2022, the symposium returned to being an in-person event and has been held annually ever since.

One example of creativity mixed with science was evident when several students came up with the idea for a solar powered boat. Once securing the permission to use the moldy shell of a pontoon boat they found at the Lake Campus, they completely restored it and added solar components. They have taken it out a couple of times. It moves very slowly, they said, but will provide a 90-minute ride. Imagine that, a solar-powered pontoon boat.

Chloe Calzolano and Dr. Tyler Starr, professor of advanced print-making.

Another fascinating student academic projects was created by Chloe Calzolano. She created a mixed media project focused on the archeology of the Davidson College campus. Chloe imagined campus buildings as they might look eons from now. She had transparent overlays of the way the the buildings look now. These are the sorts of projects that were presented all day.

This year’s event showcased 334 research and creative projects from 696 Davidson students whose presentations, digital media, art, and performances spanned multiple disciplines. Over 1,000 people – students, faculty members, community observers – enjoyed free hamburgers and chicken sandwiches during lunch.