Petersheim highlights colors of the University catalog: SHU presents research from all departments at annual academic exposition

[caption id="attachment_14312" align="alignnone" width="300"] Instagram[/caption] Research may sound like a term reserved for science students only, but the annual Petersheim Academic Exposition encourages students to break with that mindset and present their findings in whatever discipline they may perform research in. This year’s “Share, Honor, Unite” Academic Exposition began on Monday, April 18, with an opening ceremony in the Main Lounge, and concluded on Saturday, April 23. According to the SHU website, the exposition is a “celebration of the entire Seton Hall University community, including both undergraduate and graduate students.” The conference honors Dr. Matthew Petersheim, the founder of the conference at Seton Hall, who passed away in 1998. Faculty members have been encouraged to sponsor their students throughout the semester and to encourage students to present their work in research symposia, poster sessions, presentations, panel discussions, theatrical performances, art exhibits, debates, concerts and more, the website further explained. This year’s exposition featured events far outside the scientific realm, including “Fiction and Poem Reading,” and “Religious and Criminal Justice Perspectives of the School to Prison Industrial Complex." Erin Lott, a senior mathematics major, presented her research entitled “An Exploration of Signless Laplacian Matrices for Multigraphs”, during the Petersheim Exhibit for Math and Computer Science on April 22. Lott said that “mathematical graph theory is applied as a means of understanding communication networks, such as flight networks.” Lott completed this research project with Dr. John Saccoman, professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, as her senior project. Lott said that research is important because of its power to compel students to “think outside the box.” “I was able to research a whole new aspect of Graph theory, notice patterns, and come up with my own conjecture,” Lott said. “It’s exciting to be able to come up with original work and explain it to others.” Melissa Cabral and Vidhi Gandhi, both senior biology majors, presented their research entitled “Fruits and Vegetables Intake and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Men,” during the exposition on April 21 as part of their senior biology seminar capstone course. “This topic is relatable to our everyday lives and shows that we have some control over what kind of diseases we will develop,” Gandhi said. “Besides that, it was also a great achievement as it marks the end of my journey at Seton Hall.” Gandhi said she will be attending graduate school at the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, to conduct more research in the pharmaceutical field. Cabral added to Gandhi’s sentiments on the benefits of research. “Research is essential in order to advance and live a better life,” Cabral said. “No matter how big or small a problem may be, I believe research is the most effect way to find that solution.” Brianna can be reached at brianna.bernath@student.shu.edu.