Honors students showcase scholarship at CHC Student Research Conference

Publish Date: April 24, 2026

Students at Crafton Hills College shared original research and presentation skills during the college’s Spring 2026 Student Research Conference, held Friday, April 24, in LRC 231. 

Hosted by the Crafton Hills College Honors Institute, the conference welcomed students, faculty and community members to celebrate student scholarship and academic achievement. 
The event provided students with an opportunity to present research completed in Honors classes, internships, and independent projects. Participants delivered their work in either poster or oral presentation formats, helping them gain experience that prepares them for upper-division coursework at transfer universities. 

Six students presented poster projects along the Learning Resource Center’s second-floor hallway, where attendees were invited to review the displays and engage presenters with questions about their research methods and findings. Nine additional students delivered oral presentations supported by slide decks. Moderators introduced each speaker, monitored presentation times, and facilitated audience questions following each session. 

One highlight of the conference featured five of Nancy Yuen’s students, whose research examined different aspects of ethnic and racial representation in Hollywood. Their work will be incorporated into a book Yuen is currently writing. 

Participation in conferences such as this support student achievement milestones. Presenting research is one of the requirements for earning the Honors Research Fellow Award, a distinction granted to students upon graduation from the Honors Institute. 

Judy Cannon said the conference plays a vital role in building students’ confidence and enthusiasm for academic research. 

“Students who present discover that it can actually be fun to do research and to share their research with their peers,” Cannon said. “The students who come to support them are often inspired to plan a research project of their own for the next conference.” 

Cannon noted that the Honors Institute hosts research conferences at the end of both fall and spring semesters, creating consistent opportunities for students to develop and refine their presentation skills. 

“Many of our Honors alumni have told me how vital they feel their Crafton research conference experiences were,” Cannon said. “They often share how much their research and presentation experiences have helped them in their upper division and even graduate school coursework.”