Seven Virginia Tech undergraduate students will present their research projects at the sixth annual Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Meeting of the Minds undergraduate research conference to be held at the University of Miami April 15-17.

Students selected to present at the undergraduate research conference were determined by a review committee coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education.

The seven Virginia Tech students chosen to participate in the conference are

  • Jessie Cohen of  Herndon, Va., a senior majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Her research is on "'The Dreadful Funkiness of Passion': Female Sexuality as Political Act and Discourse in The Bluest Eye and Sula.
  • Darius Emrani of Greensboro, N.C., a junior majoring in electrical engineering in the College of Engineering. His research is on "The Effect of Central European Defense Doctrine on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the 21st century."
  • Andrew Gibbs of Chesapeake, Va., a junior majoring in history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and economics in the College of Science. His research is on the undergraduate integration at the College of William and Mary. He is also a researcher on the NATO project and will be presenting on that topic with Emrani and Lucas Wells.  
  • Philipp Kotlaba of Danville, Va., a junior majoring in international studies and German in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and psychology in the College of Science. His research is on "Ethnicity and Citizenship in Germany and Turkey: An Ironic Perspective."
  • Emily Love of Danville, Va., a senior majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Her research is on “Dickens and the Manipulation of the Passions: The Case of Mrs. Joe.”
  • Lucas Wells of Catlett, Va., a senior majoring in electrical engineering in the College of Engineering. His research is on "The Effect of Central European Defense Doctrine on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the 21st century."
  • Jasmine Williams of Virginia Beach, Va., a senior majoring in psychology in the College of Science and and human development in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Her research is on emotion and is titled "Do You Experience the Right Type of Pride?"

The annual ACC Meetings of the Minds conference has become an opportunity for universities in the conference to highlight the diversity of research work being completed by undergraduates and for students to share their work with peers. Students present their work in one of three formats: oral presentations, posters, or models and exhibits.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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