Lloyd International Honors College seniors reflect on their research and growth
A future journalist. An aspiring pediatrician. These are two of the 55 students who will present their research this month at the 25th Annual Undergraduate Honors Symposium hosted by UNC Greensboro’s Lloyd International Honors College. Beyond gaining experience in public speaking, the students from myriad colleges and universities are competing for $250 awards.
“The conference setting mirrors what many of them will eventually experience in a professional academic conference,” says Angela Bolte, assistant dean of the Lloyd International Honors College. “Since the symposium embraces all disciplines, students also learn how to present their research to non-experts, a valuable skill for any professional.”
Among the 30 UNCG students presenting are Lloyd International Honors College seniors Rocky Moore and Mayar Eldeeb. This symposium is the culmination of their undergraduate experience in the honors college, where they found the opportunity and support to take on challenges with confidence.
Communication for mobilization
Moore, a senior communications major, will present his research into mass communication and the Homophile movement – a post-World War II social-political movement for gay and lesbian rights.
“In the 1950s, organizing around social issues like LGBTQ+ rights was documented in print publications. I did a deep dive into the Homophile movement and its signature magazine ONE,” says Moore. “The magazine was one way that homophiles, or gay rights groups, communicated and organized.”
The right to publish and distribute ONE eventually became a Supreme Court case. The high court eventually ruled in favor of the magazine’s and homophiles’ right to free speech under the First Amendment.
“In the 1950s, secret societies supporting gay rights wanted to mobilize and advocate for acceptance into heterosexual society. At the time, newsletters and magazines were the means of communication available to them,” says Moore. “I want those who hear my presentation to understand the power of communication for organizing. Even without digital media, these groups were able to mobilize and make an impact.”
As an honor ambassador, Moore has helped advocate for other students to join the Lloyd International Honors College, often giving tours and telling prospective applicants about his experience.
“I loved being able to take classes out of my major and living in the Honors College housing,” Moore says. “You get to know people and it creates a very connected learning community. You’re exposed to more events, scholarships, and opportunities to study abroad.”
Moore is hoping to go into journalism after he graduates. “Communications has given me the foundation to do what I want to do,” he says. “I know the power journalism can have for organizing and advocating. I hope to continue that trajectory.”
Tight-knit support
Eldeeb, who will graduate in May with a BS in biology and minors in chemistry and psychology, will present twice during the symposium. A pre-med student who hopes to one day become a pediatrician, Eldeeb researched the role of estrogen-related receptors in naringenin-induced altered metabolism in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells.
She was inspired to join Dr. Yashomati Patel’s lab after learning the professor focused on breast cancer cells and fat cells. “Tamoxifen is a breast cancer treatment, but people usually develop a resistance to it,” she says. “In Dr. Patel’s lab, we research other treatment options that can be used in combination with Tamoxifen.”
Eldeeb will also present on grief in Arab and Muslim populations, an expansion of a topic she explored in her honors seminar class with Dr. Laura Wheat.
“In class we looked at how grief is presented and common misconceptions that people have about the process of grief and loss,” she says. “As a Muslim, this research on how Arab and Muslim cultures process grief really hit close to home for me. Grief in these communities is deeply intertwined with religious beliefs and the strength of community support. Instead of viewing death as the end, it’s seen as a transition to the afterlife, which offers a sense of comfort. There’s a strong emphasis on staying connected to the person who passed through prayers, acts of charity, and gatherings with family and friends. This makes grief feel less isolating and more like a shared experience that binds the community together.”
Beyond her research pursuits, Eldeeb took full advantage of opportunities offered to Lloyd International Honors College students. She traveled abroad on a faculty-led trip to St. Kitts, where she was embedded in community service work.
“Our focus was global health and disaster preparedness, and part of it was touring their hospital systems,” Eldeeb says. “We shadowed a day in the hospitals, and we also got to see how they prepare for natural disasters like hurricanes.”
Eldeeb also volunteered at the Center for New North Carolinians through an honors colloquium course and Reading Connections, an afterschool program in Greensboro.
“Reading Connections offers services to whole families to help improve literacy,” she says. “Parents take classes to improve their reading and writing, and we volunteer to help their children with afterschool activities, homework and socialization.”
As she applies to medical schools and prepares for graduation, Eldeeb is confident her experience with the Lloyd International Honors College helped her get the most out of her college experience.
“The honors college gives you such a nice tight-knit community of supportive faculty and students,” she says. “I got to know so many people with a wide variety of backgrounds and majors, which was great to expand beyond people I met in my major courses.”
Story by Alice Manning Touchette
Photography by Sean Norona
