IUP students Alex Tseng, Isabelle Clayton, Taylei Boring, and Sam Shelenberger with faculty mentors Dr. James Jozefowicz and Dr. Nathan McElroy at the 2024 URC-PA event. IUP students Alex Tseng, Isabelle Clayton, Taylei Boring, and Sam Shelenberger with faculty mentors James Jozefowicz and Nathan McElroy at the 2024 URC-PA event.

Four undergraduate students recently represented Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol (URC-PA) symposium on Tuesday, March 19, in Harrisburg, PA. This event, in its second year, allows students from universities across Pennsylvania to share their research in the East Wing Rotunda of the Capitol Complex.

URC-PA provides opportunities for students and their mentors to showcase ongoing research on their campuses, share the values of research opportunities with their local legislators, and network with other students and faculty from across Pennsylvania. The students representing IUP were selected from the 2023 Scholars Forum award winners and previous U-SOAR participants. Their work demonstrates the diverse types of research and creative scholarship occurring at the university.

The students presented their work to Rep. Jim Struzzi and Sen. Joe Pittman, among other leaders. The students representing IUP at URC-PA are: 

  • Samuel Shelenberger (CAH); faculty mentor, Craig Denison
    • “Rural Pennsylvania Music Education:  How Inter-District Relations Benefit School Music Programs.” 
  • Alexander Tseng (ECB and CNSM); faculty mentor, James Jozefowicz 
    • “The Effect of Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Other Influences on State DUI Rates”
  • Taylei Boring (CNSM); faculty mentor, Sudipta Majumdar 
    • “Surveillance of Antibacterial Resistance Around IUP Campus”
  • Isabelle Clayton (CNSM and CHHS); faculty mentor, Nathan McElroy
    • “Not Your Average Joe: The Concentration of Caffeine Over Time in Yuki Minami"

 Join us in congratulating these students for presenting their work at the Capitol!