Center for Student Research & Creative Activity

Each year, the SRCA hosts a “Student Research Fair” where students can attend to hear about the projects that faculty and staff are working on, and connect directly with those faculty and staff actively looking to work with student researchers.

We maintain a dedicated website where faculty and staff from a variety of disciplines have profiles that provide information on the topics of their research and scholarly pursuits, the publications and products that have resulted from that work, the number of positions they currently have available or expect to have available in the future for students, and the best way to establish that mentor-student relationship. There are currently projects listed in Biology, Pharmacy, Education, Human Development, Public Health, Psychology, and more!

Throughout the year, the Student Research and Creative Activity Center facilitates “The Agora,” a monthly series of research-in-progress talks open to the whole University community where faculty from all disciplines present their current scholarly projects and dialog about the next steps and the greater picture of what it all means.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AGORA

Internships at the Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities and the Art Museum are available to USJ students.

See Available Internships

An innovative collaboration between USJ’s department of Nutrition and the O’Connell Athletic Center has created a mutually beneficial opportunity for Nutrition and Dietetics students and student athletes.

The Athlete Nutrition Advising Program, created by Melissa Brown, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of Nutrition and Public Health, helps student athletes enhance their performance through optimal fuel and hydration. The program contains both full-length and miniature presentations on topics ranging from general sports nutrition to eating for injury recovery. For many of the student athletes, these presentations mark their first exposure to proper sports nutrition information.

“It’s helpful to know what I can do, what I can’t do, and just get knowledge that you don’t have on a normal, daily basis,” said soccer player Abigail Horner ’21. “This is definitely – especially at the college level – essential to athletes, sports teams, and success.”

The presentations prove beneficial for the USJ Nutrition students who present the information as well. Students from both the undergraduate program and the graduate Dietetic Internship program can participate and gain hands-on experience assessing, monitoring, and educating athletes.

For students like Kaneen Gomez-Hixson ’17, a dietetic intern, the Athlete Nutrition Advising Program helps her develop the skills integral to her future career. As a two-time Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Runner of the Year while earning her bachelor’s degree at USJ, Gomez-Hixson is no stranger to the importance of performance nutrition.

“Getting to implement my passion for performance nutrition during my dietetic internship has been a rare and wonderful opportunity – especially since I get to work within an athletic department that was a huge part of my undergraduate life,” she stated. “Having this type of program is almost unheard of during most dietetic internships and, since I see performance nutrition in my future career as a registered dietitian, it has helped me gain the experience I need to be successful.”

Interpretations 2020
Mega-Issue | Fall 2020

Interpretations 2019
Spring 2019

Interpretations 2017
Spring 2017

Interpretations 2008
Spring 2008

Interpretations 2007
Spring 2007

Interpretations 2003

Drawing — Fall 2020
Yulia Tikhonova, Adjunct professor

Watercolor — Fall 2020
Allie Elia, Adjunct Professor

Watch master’s capstone projects from our graduate students showcasing their academic and learning experiences at USJ!

Education – Arts Integration
Lorin Veturis

MA in Curriculum and Instruction
Katie Bahler
Courtney Pietrowicz
Carrie Hawkins

MA in Instructional Technology
Jordan Purslow
Alyssa Mercaldi
Lexis Foster

Annually, the Provost Office offers student research grants to support scientific investigation in any field, specifically encouraging interdisciplinary projects.  Students work with faculty mentors to prepare and submit proposals, which are reviewed and supported as appropriate.

The SRCA works closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement to aid students and faculty in the exploration and pursuit of financial support through external funding agencies (federal, state, and private).

The SRCA can connect students with the University’s Institutional Review Board to ensure that any studies involving human subjects are properly planned and conducted.

Contact:

Melissa Brown, Ph.D., R.D.
Chair, Institutional Review Board
Phone: 860.231.5262
Email: [email protected]

Every year, the University of Saint Joseph hosts a campus-wide, day-long event where students present their research and creative works to their peers, faculty, staff, and visitors. Commonly, over 100 undergraduate and graduate students present their work in poster and oral formats. Selected examples of student presentations can be found via the link below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SYMPOSIUM DAY

Whether your passion is acting or dancing, there are opportunities to pursue and showcase your talents.

For those interested in theater and improving their public speaking skills, USJ’s acting troupe, the Queenes Companye, provides the perfect opportunity to grow. A truly collaborative environment, enrolled students act alongside alumni, faculty, and staff – all of whom lend their talents to the biannual performances.

Led by Mark Zelinsky, Ph.D., associate professor of English and chair of the department of English, participants spend semesters not only honing their craft, but also increasing their marketable skills.”I always like to remind people that acting helps you with your poise,” remarked Zelinsky. “It helps you with being energized and present when you have presentations to give. It just gives you presence. I can’t think of a major it wouldn’t help.”

With real-world benefits like that, graduates are eager to maintain their connection to the troupe and return to the USJ stage. “I’m an introverted person,” explained Courtney Abair ’10. “It helps me talk to other people and function in the world in a way that works so much better than if I just went with my internal instincts. By working with these alumni, faculty, and staff, students gain unique experiences not found in a solely-student drama club. These students – whose majors range from English to Chemistry, Philosophy to Mathematics – work with individuals from different career fields, joining together in a mutual love for theater and working diligently to bring that love to the USJ community.

Students and faculty from USJ have presented their work in a variety of disciplines locally, nationally, and internationally at highly reputable conferences and venues.

Examples: Eastern Colleges Science Conference, Association for Behavior Analysis International Conference, Beta Beta Beta Regional and National Conventions, StemCONN, Committee to Teach About the United Nations (CTAUN), Northeast Region Honors Conference, Experimental Biology, Annual Meeting of the Society for Leukocyte Biology, and many more!

View Student Presentation

In Fall 2021, students in FIAR 200 – Introduction to Museums, designed four virtual exhibitions drawn from works in the Art Museum, USJ collection.  These exhibitions are completely conceived and executed by the students including topic development, object selection, exhibition design, and programming choice. Click the links below to enjoy the final products!

Code Red or Code Green: Can Humans Coexist With Nature?

Urban Cities in Reflection

The Natural World and Me

World War I and II as Depicted by Kerr Eby