Honors Students Present at National Collegiate Honors Council Conference
Six students in Arcadia’s Honors Program presented their projects at the 58th annual National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) conference. Paige Hudgins ’24, Nicole Burgon ’25, Trisha McElhaugh ’25, Ryland McGinniss ’25, Dhristi Padihar ’25, and Julianna Reidell ’25, were selected by NCHC to travel to Chicago, Ill., from November 9 to 11 for the conference.
“There are so many ideas presented by students from across the U.S.,” said Carole Loeffler, assistant director of Honors and professor of Visual and Performing Arts, who attended the conference with the students. “With the state of the world right now, it’s easy to lose hope. Viewing these projects and interacting with the students offers hope for a brighter tomorrow.”
During the conference, administrator, faculty, staff, and student attendees had the opportunity to attend and participate in various panels, presentations, and workshops for attendees to view or participate in, alongside numerous networking opportunities. Topics included diversity, equity, and inclusion, travel, healthcare, belonging, peace, and mental health. Arcadia’s Honors students presented the following topics as poster sessions:
- Hudgins ’24 and McElhaugh ’25: Molecular Phylogenetics of Cannabis sativa Cultivars
- Burgon ’25: What Divides Us
- McGinniss ’25: Addressing Ableism at Arcadia University: Inaccessibility in Higher Education
- Padihar ’25: The Rise of Depression and Suicide in the U.S. Military
- Reidell ’25: Accepting All: The Differing Roles and Purposes of Poetic Speakers Within the Work of Langston Hughes and Aimé Césaire
Helene Klein, assistant dean of Honors and Accelerated Programs at Arcadia, notes the importance of the NCHC conference, even beyond campus.
“What I love about it, aside from students getting to highlight their work, is the opportunity for community building,” she said. “They get to bond over this interdisciplinary academic experience, with their peers and those they meet at the conference.”
“The students had a great trip, saw how their research compared to their peers, and bonded as a group,” added Loeffler. “I came away being so proud of our students. Arcadia competes with the best institutions year in and year out. People need to know more about how incredible they are!”
