Over the past two weeks, Binghamton University held a series of events celebrating student research and art as part of its 15th-annual Research Days.

Between April 24 and May 1, the campus community held a series of events celebrating research on campus, including performances, recitals, art exhibitions and presentations of scholarly work. This year was the first time that the Division of Research and the Festival of the Arts collaborated on Research Days events.

“I would say we have the best lineup of programs that we’ve ever had,” Rachel Coker, the executive director of research advancement and chair of the steering committee for the event, wrote in an email to Pipe Dream. “There is something for everyone, from first-year students to our most senior faculty and industry partners.”

Among the events hosted was a keynote speech by Jeanette Epps last Tuesday on her career as a NASA astronaut. Epps holds the record for the Black astronaut who has spent the most time in space. She spoke about the importance of teamwork during her address.

“If you’re underwater with a group of people who aren’t your friends and don’t look like you, and if you’re not flexible and adaptable, you can’t get along,” Epps said at the event. “Nine days might as well be nine years and it’s just going to be a long, long time. And you likely will not be successful. Coming together as a team, rallying around the notion that we have a mission that we have to complete, was how we ended up becoming great friends.”

The Art of Science competition celebrated its 10th year this research week with a traditional exhibit and a special First Friday program last week at the Phelps Mansion Museum. The event was a collaboration between the Research Department and the Cinema and Music Departments at BU.

The week culminated in a showcase of more than 300 student projects in campus-wide student poster sessions on Friday, May 1. The poster sessions, held in the University Union, featured student research projects.

“The energy in the Mandela Room during that event is always a highlight of the week for me,” wrote Coker.

Students presented at a smaller research showcase last Tuesday to present research done in collaboration with community partners.

One project was done in collaboration with the American Lung Association, specifically the New York State Children’s Asthma Initiative. Researchers sought to investigate methods to educate children about how to manage asthma diagnoses. The New York State Children’s Asthma Initiative provided informational resources to the researchers.

Another poster displayed research done by Jade Torres, a junior majoring in political science, Kristen Lee, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law and Cynthia Chen, a junior double-majoring in sociology and Asian American studies. Their research searches for racial covenants and clauses in land deeds that prohibit land ownership by non-white individuals in Broome County. Utilizing County Clerk records, they traced how such history in previously segregated properties still shapes the current neighborhoods and lives of Broome County residents despite the removal of such clauses.

Several projects in the larger poster session on Friday were inspired by the current American political, social and economic state. These include the rise of authoritarism and social media, artificial intelligence and the impact of new technology on democracy. Another topic covered was the connection between anxiety disorders and gender, presented in a project by Misha Muneeb, a senior majoring in neuroscience and Natalia Orozco, a junior majoring in neuroscience.

“We actually found that in females, there’s a higher percentage of projections from the locus coeruleus to the medial prefrontal cortex, which is very interesting, and that may be involved in partially why we see higher rates of anxiety disorders in women,” said Muneeb at the poster session.

The research events this week allowed students involved in research to highlight their findings.

“Binghamton’s research portfolio continues to grow, and I love that our campus community has a full week to explore and celebrate innovation and creativity,” wrote Coker.