Students present at 2024 Academic and Research Symposium

Over 75 Concordia students presented at the 13th annual Academic and Research Symposium on April 22, 2024.  

The symposium gives students the opportunity to present original research they’ve worked on over the semester in an interdisciplinary setting. This year’s student presenters represented academic majors from across disciplines like art, biology and history, among others. A total of 80 students gave 50 poster and 35 oral presentations covering a wide range of topics from spatial analyses of National Hockey League players to the best worship music.   

Dr. Brian Albright, an associate professor of mathematics at Concordia, has been coordinating the event for the past three years. “It’s a nice pure academic experience,” he said about the symposium. “It’s a good chance for students to demonstrate their God-given academic abilities.”  

“It demonstrates that we are an academic institution,” Albright said, pointing out that students presented on a wide variety of topics.  

Students who participated in the program (listed alphabetically by last name):  

Anne Aschmann, junior, Seward, Neb.  

Kyle Berg, senior, Carroll, Iowa 

Josh Bergt, junior, Fairmont, Minn.  

Alec Blakestad, senior, Omaha, Neb.  

Jessica Ciezki, senior, Waterford, Wis.  

Sarah Cluver, sophomore, Montgomery City, Mo.  

Hunter Cole, senior, Decatur, Texas 

Amira Cummings, senior, Cheyenne, Wyo.  

Chloe Dahn, senior, Decatur, Ill.  

Brevin Damrow, sophomore, Beatrice, Neb.  

Nathaniel Demlow, senior, St. Paul, Minn.  

Josh D’Ercole, junior, Papillion, Neb.  

Stephen Duffy, senior, Kenesaw, Neb.  

Mason Edwards, senior, Wichita, Kan.  

Larissa Embree, senior, Seward, Neb.  

Henry Gaertner, junior, Royal Oak, Mich.  

Miriam Ganoung, sophomore, Halsey, Neb.  

Gwendolyn Gaunt, senior, Hastings, Neb.  

Thomas Gorline, junior, St. Peters, Mo.  

Joey Grabanski, senior, Grand Forks, N.D.  

Madelyn Graham, junior, Grand Island, Neb.  

Anna Grass, senior, Seward, Neb.  

Jonathan Grass, senior, Emma, Mo.  

Michael Grindey, senior, Chandler, Ariz.  

Lexis Haney, senior, Dwight, Neb.  

Matt Hawes, senior, Omaha, Neb.  

Charlie Hayden, junior, Elkhorn, Neb.  

Stephen Hughes, senior, Denver, Colo.  

Ellie Jander, junior, Bridgeton, Mo. 

Kassidy Johnson, senior, Lincoln, Neb.  

Luke Johnson, senior, Kansas City, Kan.  

Taylor Johnson, senior, Council Bluffs, Iowa 

Alexander Johnston, senior, White Bear Lake, Minn.  

Jennifer Katz, junior, Springfield, Neb.  

Claire Kee, senior, Shelton, Neb.  

Tristin Kinderknecht, senior, Salina, Kan.  

Ethan Kirby, sophomore, Stewardson, Ill.  

Jordan Koepke, junior, Gulf Breeze, Fla.  

Nathan Kurth, sophomore, Stromsburg, Neb. 

Rylee Ladd, sophomore, Chetek, Wis.  

Avery Lewis, senior, Seward, Neb.  

Jackson Lindburg, Stromsburg, Neb.  

Elizabeth Marsh, sophomore, York, Neb.  

Karsten McCarter, senior, Elm Creek, Neb.  

Macy McClain, junior, Tempe, Ariz.  

Julie McIntyre, senior, Chicago, Ill.  

McKenna McSpadden, sophomore, Parker, Colo.  

John Merritt, junior, Plano, Texas  

Joshua Meyer, Longmont, Colo.  

Seth Moore, junior, Kearney, Neb.  

Emily Morse, senior, Council Bluffs, Iowa 

Nathaniel Mueller, senior, Austin, Texas 

Hope Nelson, junior, Rochester, Minn.  

Justin Ningen, junior, Chappell, Neb.  

Gabrielle Nordaker, senior, Omaha, Neb.  

Philip Norton, senior, Gallup, N.M.  

Justin Otten, sophomore, Omaha, Neb.  

Rachel Otten, senior, Pilger, Neb.  

Lindsay Palmer, junior, Offerle, Kan.  

Travis Parsons, senior, Round Rock, Texas 

Nate Pennekamp, junior, Fort Wayne, Ind. 

Kamryn Pokorney, senior, Shelby, Neb.  

Jenna Potratz, senior, Seward, Neb.  

Walker Ranada, senior, McKinney, Texas 

Joel Rathe, senior, Sterling, Neb.  

Devon Reitz, senior, Milford, Neb.  

Kellie Rhodes, senior, Mullinville, Kan.  

Samuel Richling, sophomore, Omaha, Neb.  

Molly Roberts, junior, Columbus, Neb.  

Adrianna Rodencal, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb.  

Manuel Rodriguez, junior, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain 

Nick Sazama, senior, Norfolk, Neb.  

Taberah Schmidt, sophomore, Oregon City, Ore.  

Darien Semedo, senior, Mather, Calif.  

Halley Shade, junior, Plattsmouth, Neb.  

Joel Smith, sophomore, Earlham, Iowa 

Katie Stachura, senior, Columbus, Neb.  

Mattie Stillahn, senior, Seward, Neb.  

Creighton Taylor, senior, Gretna, Neb.  

Bethany Thomas, junior, Libby, Mont.  

Buchannan Tietjen, junior, Hebron, Neb.  

Brooke Townsend, senior, Buena Park, Calif.  

Mollie Urkoski, sophomore, Columbus, Neb.  

Jaxon Weyand, sophomore, Crete, Neb.  

Bradyn Whittington, senior, Wilber, Neb.  

Micah Willweber, senior, Kailua, Hawaii 

Maddie Wittstruck, senior, Milford, Neb.  

Want to learn more about the Academic and Research Symposium? Find more information on the symposium website.