QU to be host of eighth annual Academic Symposium Wednesday through Friday

QUINCY — Quincy University is the host of its eighth annual Academic Symposium Wednesday through Friday, April 30-May 2 at the Connie Niemann Center for Music, South Auditorium, QU North Campus, 17th and Seminary Road.

Students will present their original research from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday. Multiple poster presentations will be displayed from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, The Academic Symposium includes 22 platform presentations and 21 poster presentations.

The QU Academic Symposium will feature the work of 65 undergraduate students with the support of 17 mentors, representing all five QU academic schools: School of Science and Technology, School of Humanities, School of Fine Arts and Communication, School of Education and Human Services and the Oakley School of Business.

In honor of the Adams County Bicentennial, students were invited to submit their work in a Bicentennial category alongside their primary discipline, providing a platform to highlight research that honors the community’s rich heritage and promising future. Five research projects and three poster presentations qualify for the Bicentennial category.

The Academic Symposium awards presentations will begin at 1 p.m. Friday. The noon luncheon on Friday will feature keynote speaker Megan Boccardi. Her presentation is “From the Classroom to the Embassy: How My QU Education Shaped My Life.”

Boccardi earned a degree in history at QU in 1999, taught history for several years and became a diplomat in 2021.

“Quincy University played an integral role in shaping my professional career, starting in the classroom as a student,” Boccardi said in a press release. “The lessons that QU taught its students and the experiences offered became the foundation of my adult life and the springboard for my professional career, leading me to travel the world, research the history of our country and embrace a lifelong love of the education and servant leadership.”

To attend the luncheon, RSVP to Kristen Liesen at liesekr@quincy.edu or 217-228-5432, ext. 3355.

The Academic Symposium aims to prepare academically talented students for professional schools, to reward academic achievement, to provide an opportunity for academic competition among students and to offer a platform for interaction among major programs.

For more information about QU’s Academic Symposium, contact Caitlin Deskins at deskica@quincy.edu.