10 Years of Made in Millersville

2024 marks 10 years of celebrating student scholarship and creativity at the annual Made in Millersville Conference. The conference, which highlights student research at Millersville University, will be held on Tuesday, April 9 in the Student Memorial Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a record number of 265 presentations by 383 presenters. Alumni and the community can attend the conference as guests or can volunteer as reviewers. This year’s conference will be held in conjunction with the Frederick Douglass Institute’s Research and Creative Arts Conference. 

Made in Millersville is open to all Millersville students and includes the work of recent graduates who completed their projects after the conclusion of the last conference. The conference accepts presentations that are either a product of a mentored experience outside the classroom or a requirement for a course. Nearly 100 faculty members served as mentors for the 2024 conference presenters. Students were encouraged to showcase their scholarly work by submitting posters, talks, performances, demonstrations and exhibits for consideration.  

Students can also present the outcomes of their work in the Made in Millersville Journal. The journal, overseen by Dr. Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol and Dr. Kerry Farkas, will be published online and available for the public to view on April 23.  

“When students apply to participate in Made in Millersville, they can choose to present at the conference and author a paper in the journal,” explains Jeffry Porter, Associate Vice President for the Office of Grants, Sponsored Programs and Research. “Students who publish in the journal work with the student editor team, and the writing process becomes an instructive experience. While the conference and journal showcase our students’ excellent and innovative work, their success is an indicator of our faculty’s excellence in the classroom and dedication as mentors outside the classroom.” 

Nate C. Wilson, a biology major with a concentration in animal behavior, took part in last year’s conference and said the process gave them a greater insight into their project and helped them prepare for their defense. “My first presentation helped me develop an idea of what presenting your research should look like at a professional level, aided my understanding of my research and taught me how to create a professional poster,” says Wilson.    

This year, Wilson is presenting two projects: the first is a continuation of their project from last year titled, “Neuroendocrine Gene Expression and Aggression in the Polymorphic White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).” The second is a poster on Wilson’s summer internship research titled, “3D Analysis of Morphological Diversity in Hawaiian Hawks Across Time and Space, from Pleistocene to the Present.” Wilson, who also serves as an intern for the conference, says that their experience gave them important practice for their future career. “My experience presenting at Made in Millersville allowed me to feel more confident in my presentation skills, allowing me to perform better in future conferences.”    

To learn more about the conference visit, millersville.edu/madeinmu and send any questions to madeinmillersville@millersville.edu.