Bates College hosted its annual Mount David Summit on April 10, where more than 200 student researchers presented their work to the college community, family, and friends in Pettengill Hall.
The event highlighted the wide range of academic inquiry taking place at Bates, with students exploring topics from marine ecology and neuroscience to legal studies and visual arts. The summit serves as a capstone for many seniors’ academic careers and offers an opportunity for students to share their findings with a broader audience.
During opening remarks, President Garry W. Jenkins said, “Mount David is not just a harbinger of spring and the nearing conclusion of the winter semester, though it is those things. It’s also a chance for our community to come together to celebrate the academic heart of our mission. And it’s an extraordinary opportunity for Bates students to show off their research, their brilliant and insightful analysis, and their dazzling creativity.”
Attendees navigated through poster sessions in Perry Atrium while engaging with presenters about research methods and motivations behind each project. Joanne Roberts, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, said that Mount David Summit is “a day to celebrate student achievement and the people who supported the students along the way.” She added: “It takes a village to bring an idea from its first spark through its final expression, and we owe a huge thank you to everyone involved, from our committed faculty, to our stellar academic staff, and our invaluable research librarians.”
Student projects covered diverse subjects such as dolphin social behavior in Croatia by biology major Zoe Ash; skin infections among diabetic patients by Enathe Muhawenimana; flooding patterns in Providence using community-sourced data by mathematics major Hope Stafford; access to reproductive health resources among women experiencing homelessness by neuroscience major Ariya Tayal; agent-based modeling in marine symbiosis by James Hillers; impacts of hurricanes on sea turtle nesting by Gemma DeCarolis; gray wolf reintroduction effects on livestock ranching by economics major Willa Laski; civic engagement experiences among elementary school children researched by psychology major Katie Heumann; memorialization practices related to Japanese-American internment camps studied by Shay Campolongo; restorative effects of clay workshops explored by Catalina Passino; surveillance themes in film analyzed by Connor Gerraughty—and many more.
Panels such as “What’s Law Got To Do With It?” brought together politics majors discussing legal precedents ranging from early American history through recent developments during President Donald Trump’s administration. Visual art was incorporated into several presentations—including photography exhibitions documenting off-campus study experiences across multiple countries.
The Mount David Summit continues as an annual tradition at Bates College that recognizes scholarly achievement while fostering interdisciplinary connections across campus.
