Holy Family Students Present Research at the Annual Undergraduate Research at the Capitol – Pennsylvania Poster Conference
Holy Family University students Sean Pramnieks ’24 and Sarah Schreiber ’24 were invited to present their research at the Annual Undergraduate Research at the Capitol – Pennsylvania Poster Conference (URC-PA) at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg on March 7, 2023.
The URC-PA Poster Conference is an educational event featuring undergraduate students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities showcasing their research talents to the Commonwealth’s key decision-makers. Participants spent the day in the Pennsylvania Capitol Building, shared experiences and ideas with their counterparts from other schools, and enlightened state legislators on the topics that are important to our society.
Each college and university in Pennsylvania may send two student representatives to the annual conference. Pramnieks and Schreiber, who are students in Holy Family’s Honors Program, presented their Honors Symposium Projects at the conference.
Pramnieks, a Psychology major, presented his research poster entitled “The Impact of COVID-19 on the Emotional Well-Being of College-Aged Students.” His faculty mentor is Jennifer DeCicco, Ph.D., associate professor and interim dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.
“The highlight of the event was being able to present my poster to other students across the Pennsylvania area as well as to State Representatives who had engaging questions that demonstrated their interest in students’ projects,” said Pramnieks. “The event was important since students can work with advisors on projects which can help benefit the future such as major issues like education, scientific discoveries, and a better understanding of historical events. I also enjoyed being able to meet representatives like Representative Pat Gallagher who was able to apply my poster about COVID-19 affecting emotional well-being in college-aged students to overall young adults and to research for the betterment of society.”
Schreiber, a History major, presented her research poster entitled, “Persona and Perceptions of T.E. Lawrence,” who is also known as Lawrence of Arabia. Her faculty mentor is Madigan Fichter, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Arts & Sciences.
“Going to Harrisburg to present my research proved to be more than worth the trip,” shared Schreiber. “It was a surprise to see so many legislators from across the state interested in history and able to converse with me about various topics, especially the one I was presenting on, T.E. Lawrence. It was also enlightening to get a chance to talk with other students from across the state that presented on a range of topics. The part of the event that resonated with me the most is when I had a chance to talk with Representative Joshua Siegel, Representative Pat Gallagher, Representative Joe Emrick, and Matt Darragh, the communications director for State Senator Jimmy Dillon. It was eye-opening to see them enthusiastically question and wonder even further about the character of Lawrence after taking in the research I presented.”
Both Pramnieks and Schreiber will present their projects again at the SEPCHE Honors Conference at Salus University on March 25.