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:

The post NCWU Hosts 2026 Omnium Conference appeared first on 麻豆原创.

The organization operates several environmental education projects including Camp Waldo (a summer camp for children), the Appalachian Pollinator Center (focused on education related to native habitat and pollinators) and the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective. During her residency, Dr. Thompson will live on-site near Lewisburg, WV and establish research and training programs that focuses on Appalachian citizen science, climate change and native pollinators. She will build a foundation for more academic resident participation in future years and use the organization鈥檚 new Appalachian Pollinator Center as a programmatic home base.

“I’m thrilled to spend my summer with the interns and staff at Appalachian Headwaters. This unique opportunity is a perfect fit for someone like me who has one foot rooted in academic ecology and the other in science education,鈥� stated Dr. Thompson. 鈥淲e will explore the relationship between native pollinators, like butterflies and bees, and the timing of local flower blooms. Changing climate conditions are altering the time of year when flowers bloom鈥攕ome species are flowering earlier in the year, some later. The interns and I will explore how this change in bloom timing could impact the insects who pollinate those flowers. Can the pollinators and flowers still find each other when they need food or pollination services? Or will they become mismatched?”

Dr. Thompson studies the ecology of dragonflies and is a world expert on the common green darner. She鈥檚 been featured on PBS North Carolina for her exciting dragonfly research. In addition, Dr. Thompson has shared her dragonfly expertise on the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ “Science Tonight” program and created a series of weekly educational videos for the U.S. Forest Service鈥檚 Wings Across the America鈥檚 program during the summer of 2021. Formerly a National Park Service ranger, Dr. Thompson has also written guidebooks and education curricula on dragonflies that have been translated into two other languages.

麻豆原创 麻豆原创

麻豆原创 (NCWU) is a small, private Methodist-affiliated institution with a liberal arts-based core curriculum that prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning and responsible participation in their communities. NCWU offers liberal arts, professional and graduate degree programs for traditional, transfer and working-adult students. The skills cultivated by faculty and built into the curriculum include critical thinking and reflection, communication, collaboration, and information technology. 麻豆原创 delivers education that is personal, practical and purpose-driven. Personal鈥hrough mentoring and the connections that are provided. Practical鈥y helping students develop lifelong skills. Purpose-driven鈥y helping them fulfill their purpose in life. With students from all over the United States and more than 40 different countries, the University has immense cultural diversity. To learn more, visit ncwu.edu and follow on , , , and .

The post NCWU Professor is First Appalachian Headwaters Ecologist Resident appeared first on 麻豆原创.