Congratulations to the 2022 A&S First-Year Seminar Symposium Winners

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences presented their First-Year Seminar (FYS) projects for the Annual FYS Symposium in the Gengras Student Union that took place on Friday, Dec. 2. A&S alumni and faculty judged the students’ collaborative presentations.

All first-year A&S students are required to take the FYS course to help develop and enhance writing, speaking, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Students select an FYS course that interests them from a list of diverse topics; all FYS courses are led by engaged full-time faculty members. 

Here are this year’s winning presentations:

Best Demonstration of Creative Thinking:

Medical Humanities, with Professor of English and Modern Languages Nels Highberg

Judged by Dakota Nanton, Zee Onuf, Ines Rivera, and T. Stores.

Best Demonstration of Critical Thinking:

Media Consumption and Disinformation, with Professor of Communication Sundeep Muppidi

Judged by Ayelet Brinn, Kelly McGeever, Beth Richards, and Adam Silver.

Most Interdisciplinary Presentation:

Roots and Routes of EDM, with Professor of English and Modern Languages Nels Highberg

Judged by Tatum Krause, Barb Haines, Judith Kelly, and Katharine Owens.

Most Professional Presentation:

Fact and Fiction: History and Literature, with Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies Amy Weiss

Judged by Eric Litsky, Janel MacDermott, Arielle Aikens-Lastrina, Olaleye Onikuyide, and Lon Seidman.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award:

The Black Radical Tradition, with Assistant Professor of Communication Goyland Williams

Judged by Nathan Duford, Shivangi Nangia, Edwin Grimsley, and Margaret Tarampi

Student Choice Award:

The Neuroscience of Black Mirror, with Associate Professor of Biology Andrew Koob

Selected by the FYS students in attendance at the symposium.