2024-2025 A&S Student Symposium
DEMOLITION
Helen Mei, ’26, a rhetoric & communication studies and film studies major minoring in data science & statistics, created the photo zine DEMOLITION as the culmination of her research in the spring 2024 Humanities Fellow cohort working with Jessica Chan, associate professor of Chinese, and Nathan Snaza, director of the Humanities Center and assistant professor of English, as her faculty mentors. During the summer of 2024 in Shanghai, China, her hometown, she visited residential areas and public buildings undergoing different phases of demolition. Mei’s research seeks to answer the question of how demolition deconstructs and replaces communities and examines the social life of materials found on demolition sites. She documented these sites with photographs and compiled them into a personal art zine dedicated to her memories of the city.
Investigating Fibrin & Film Formation through Microscopy
Cierra Divers, ‘27, a chemistry major with a psychology minor, and Ryan Dillard, ‘27, a biochemistry & molecular biology major, conducted research with Christine Helms, associate professor of physics, during the summer 2024, as part of the Integrated Inclusive Science post-first year research experience. Their research investigated fibrin fiber and fibrin film formation through microscopy. The Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) image shows the repeating structure of fibrin fibers, which are a primary element in blood clots and are responsible for the strength of the clot. Fibrin film, which was overlooked for many years, was recently identified as an important antimicrobial barrier. The research by Divers and Dillard looks to deepen our understanding of the distinction between fibrin fibers and fibrin film.
University of Richmond Video Game Orchestra (URVGO)
Adam Kasti,’ 25, a political science and leadership studies major with music and history minors, founded the University’s first-ever video game orchestra — the University of Richmond Video Game Orchestra (URVGO) in 2024. With the support of research funding and mentorship from Stefan Greenfield-Casas, visiting assistant professor of music, Kasti recruited musicians from across the campus united by a love of video games and music and is sharing his experience with the process at this symposium, as well as at the North American Conference on Video Game Music in Cleveland, Ohio. Kasti arranged most of the music performed and conducted the ensemble for both semesters, including music from an in-development game by Cameron Peterson ‘24. The orchestra has performed a fall 2024 and spring 2025 concert. URVGO is open to all students, faculty, and staff who sing or play an instrument.