‘I’m starting to see how my project is impacting people’

Zayda Waters ’25 and Ellie Hanson ’25, MAT ’26, are focused on improving education systems for future students — while they’re still students themselves. The two spent this past summer studying experiences for marginalized students and compliant behavior, respectively, and are among the Clarkies presenting research at ClarkFEST, the semesterly celebration of students’ intellectual and creative endeavors.

Pulling from a wide selection of student research, the fall 2024 edition of ClarkFEST will take place on Wednesday, October 30, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

This year’s event features six panel presentations, three interactive media exhibits, two creative exhibits, and more than 40 poster presentations, encompassing disciplines ranging from art history and biology to comparative literature and data science. Students will present at the Higgins University Center and the Center for Media, Arts, Computing, and Design (CMACD).

Waters, who studied former at-risk youths and their experiences in the public school system with support from the Gary (’81) and Susan Labovich Summer Research Fellowship, is thrilled about being able to present.

“My praxis has become part of my life,” she says. “Now that I’m starting to see how my project is impacting people, I’m realizing it’s not just a graduation requirement — it’s the beginning of my career in public education.”  Her project, she believes, will have much deeper implications on how educators in the future approach student experiences.

Hanson researched complaint behavior and autonomy, work she feels is necessary for the greater educational community.

“I am immensely excited to present my study to the greater Clark community,” she says. “I can’t wait to showcase how principles of education that may seem to be common sense could actually be the opposite of what we think.”

Other student research topics include a discussion of ethical collecting in museums, a study of gene editing (CRISPR) technology, an investigation into cedar trees in cranberry bogs, a deep dive into physical and chemical modifications of bricks, and a close look at the Italian coffee industry.

Student poster presentations will be held in Tilton Hall, interactive media exhibitions will be held in CMACD, creative media exhibitions will be spread across Tilton Hall and CMACD, and panel presentations will occur in half-hour blocks in the Grace and Lurie conference rooms on the first floor of the University Center.