Temple University's College of Liberal Arts (CLA) held its annual Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards (LAURAs) Ceremony last week. The LAURAs grant $2,000 each to undergraduate student-faculty member teams to conduct a research project over the course of a semester. Each student earns a $15/hour stipend from the grant while spending 100 hours on the project, which enables students to dedicate their time to developing research skills without having to worry about their financial well-being.
Sandra Suárez, Deputy Dean and director of the LAURAs program was the master of ceremonies and welcomed Dean Richard Deeg and Provost Gregory Mandel, who was the keynote speaker. Dean Deeg discussed the importance of the LAURA program for Temple University and its Carnegie Research 1 classification. Provost Mandel, who is also a Laura H. Carnell Professor of Law, spoke about his passion for conducting research.
“Attending the LAURA Scholars Awards Ceremony is a genuine highlight for me,” said Provost Gregory N. Mandel. “Celebrating research achievement that fuels discovery and real-world impact is at the heart of our research mission at Temple. What makes the LAURAs so special is the collaboration between faculty and students. The research teams clearly share an unwavering commitment to work across disciplines to create new knowledge for the greater good.”
Following the provost’s remarks, Deputy Dean Suárez welcomed four LAURAs teams to present the culmination of their semester’s long research projects.
- Literary Agents and American Literature - Laura McGrath (English) and Abigail Corcelli
- Is Anxiety Associated with Conspiracy Beliefs About HIV and COVID-19 Among People Disproportionately Affected by HIV? - Will Vincent (Psychology and Neuroscience) and Sirina Tiwari
- PREACT: Planning for Equity and Resilience Through Accessible Community Technology? - Christina Rosan (Geography and Urban Studies) and Julianna Roseo
- Disinformation, Cyberwar, and Critical Infrastructure Security - Aunshul Rege (Criminal Justice) and Parker Naugle
Kimberly Williams, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology spoke next. She was there to present an honorary certificate to the mother of Matthew Walsh, a student whom Professor Williams conducted research with in 2020 who passed away in 2022.
The ceremony culminated with the announcement of awards to all the LAURA scholars.
For a full list of teams and the research topics, please visit the LAURAs webpage.