麻豆原创 (NCWU) held the second annual Omnium Conference on Wednesday, March 25 at the Gateway Technology Center on campus. The event spotlighted undergraduate research and celebrated scholarly achievement across disciplines.
What is The Omnium Conference?
The Omnium Conference is a formal presentation of student research papers in affiliation with . Omniumis a Latin word meaning 鈥渆verything鈥, and the journal provides students with the opportunity to explore major genres of academic writing, join in scholarly conversations, share their ideas, perform original research, and see their work published in a professional venue. Now in its eighth year, Omnium was established in 2019 by Dr. Doreen Thierauf, Associate Professor of English and General Education Program Coordinator. Dr. Thierauf serves as the journal鈥檚 editor and as conference co-organizer, joined by Dr. Shane Thompson, Associate Professor of Bible and the Ancient Near East and Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.
鈥Omnium provides a professional platform for students to engage in original research, participate in academic dialogue, and see their work published,鈥 said Dr. Thierauf. 鈥淚t also serves as a teaching tool for faculty at NCWU and other institutions, with articles reflecting the academic growth of students at every stage of their college careers from first-year composition essays to projects created in senior seminars and honors theses鈥.
2026 Conference Details
The 2026 conference featured six student presentations, organized into two thematic sessions followed by interactive panel discussions:
- Session 1: Writing, Filming, and Buying Identity
- Alastair Cannon (NC State U): 鈥淒isproving the Myth of Simplicity in Anatolian Hieroglyphs鈥
- Shafiq Nuijts: 鈥淲an Pipel: Identity, Tolerance, and Coexistence in Suriname鈥
- Session 2: Healing Our Communities
- Niana Gunther: 鈥Lessons Learned from Unexpected Results: Investigating Herbal Remedies and Probiotic Growth鈥
- Kayla Collins: 鈥淪tress, Sleep, and Mental Wellbeing among NCWU Students鈥
- Maya Dari: 鈥淏uilding Resilience: One Jenga Block at a Time鈥
- Maria Gabriela Salazar: 鈥淔actors Influencing the Development of Cultural Competence in Nurses鈥
This year鈥檚 keynote address was delivered by Dr. Lee Templeton, Professor of English and Chair of the School of Humanities. His presentation was titled 鈥淭he Dragons of Higher Education.鈥
The 2026 conference marked an ongoing collaboration between Dr. Thierauf and Dr. Shane Thompson. Together, they aim to expand mission to highlight the exceptional work being produced by NCWU undergraduates across all disciplines. The organizers were thrilled to feature a student from North Carolina State University, Alastair Cannon, in the conference lineup and hope to attract more students from regional campuses to the conference in the years to come.
Photos from this event can be viewed:
NCWU Hosts Omnium Conference
麻豆原创 (NCWU) held its inaugural Omnium Conference on Wednesday, April 9 at the Gateway Technology Center on campus. The event spotlighted undergraduate research and celebrated scholarly achievement across disciplines.
The Omnium Conference is a formal presentation of student research papers in affiliation with . Omnium is a Latin word meaning 鈥渆verything鈥, and the journal provides students with the opportunity to explore major genres of academic writing, join in scholarly conversations, share their ideas, perform original research, and see their work published in a professional venue. Now in its sixth volume, Omnium was established in 2019 by Dr. Doreen Thierauf, Associate Professor of English and General Education Program Coordinator. Dr. Thierauf serves as the journal鈥檚 sole editor and Dr. Shane Thompson, Assistant Professor of Bible and the Ancient Near East, is a co-founder of the conference which is poised to become an annual event.
鈥Omnium provides a professional platform for students to engage in original research, participate in academic dialogue, and see their work published,鈥 said Dr. Thierauf. 鈥淚t also serves as a teaching tool for faculty at NCWU and other institutions, with articles reflecting the academic growth of students at every stage of their college careers from first-year composition essays to projects created in senior seminars and honors theses鈥.
The 2025 conference featured nine student presentations, organized into three thematic sessions followed by interactive panel discussions:
- Session 1: From Fact to Fiction, From Fiction to Fact
- Natalie Messer – 鈥Exodus: The Unknown Apocalyptic Text鈥
- Clarence Alexander Sanderford – 鈥淒oomsday on Screen: How Apocalyptic Films Reflect Society鈥檚 Fears鈥
- Maxima Iglesias – 鈥淭he Illusion of Achieving Happiness Without Effort鈥
- Session 2: Challenging Harmful Cultures
- Kya Alston – 鈥淓bonics: Putting Respect to Black Sound鈥
- Shafiq Nuijts – 鈥淲hose Independence? Challenging the Netherlands鈥 Commemorative Culture鈥
- Layali Kasem – 鈥淲eathering the Heights of Withering Critics & Whittling at the Global Theory Industry鈥
- Session 3: Healing Our Communities
- Christian Van Norden – 鈥淩acism in Healthcare: Dissolving Barriers and Seeking Justice鈥
- Anna Hamilton – 鈥淭he Porn Problem: How Widespread Accessibility Harms Mental Health and Social Norms鈥
- Jolyna Sundbom – 鈥淔arm to Fork in Your Community: The Advantages of Sustainable Agriculture鈥
This year鈥檚 keynote address was delivered by Dr. Shannon Crowley, Associate Professor of Public Health and Director of Public Health Program. Her presentation explored the psychological and physiological impacts of movement and exercise.
The 2025 conference marked a new collaboration between Dr. Thierauf and Dr. Shane Thompson, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. Together, they aim to expand mission to highlight the exceptional work being produced by NCWU undergraduates across all disciplines.
The Spring 2025 conference also served as a proof-of-concept for future interdisciplinary research showcases, reinforcing NCWU鈥檚 ongoing commitment to undergraduate academic excellence.
Students & Faculty Attend American College of Sports Medicine Conference
On February 14th and 15th, Drs. Crowley, Henderson and Magal, and four students attended the regional conference of the in Greenville, SC.
At the conference and under the direction of Dr. Crowley, Mehli Marcellus and Tyler Ricks presented a research project titled: 鈥淔actors Influencing Attitude Towards, and Participation in, Physical Activity in Eastern North Carolina鈥.
Also at the conference, Dr. Meir Magal, Program Director and Professor of Exercise Science together with Mr. Francis Neric, Director of Certifications at the American College of Sports Medicine, has co-presented a tutorial titled: 鈥淕raduated Now What? Succeeding in the Exercise Profession鈥
