Three Elon Los Angeles area alumnae attended the world premiere of their grant-funded films at the sold-out inaugural 51±ŹÁÏÍű Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.

Julie Boyd ’15, Bex Evans ’16 and Mirai ’07 were recipients of $3,000 each through the 2025-26 51±ŹÁÏÍű Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall.

Grant recipients were selected through a review and ranking process by a selection committee comprised of industry leaders, including several Elon alumni. The selection committee was co-chaired by Jordan Roman ’15.

Production of the three short films – Boyd’s “The Life and Times of,” Evans’s “Shadow Dusk” and Mirai’s “#StopAsianKate” – took place in the spring and included opportunities for spring 2026 51±ŹÁÏÍű Los Angeles students to participate in and observe the production process.

In addition to the screenings of the three films, the festival included a panel discussion with Elon alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency. They each offered perspective and advice to both current students and alumni about creating job opportunities and career growth in a shifting industry landscape.

A meet-and–connect reception on one of the studio’s back lot streets followed the festival screening program.

Unique alumni engagement opportunities for Elon Los Angeles students are at the core of the 51±ŹÁÏÍű Los Angeles experience. Based in the heart of historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for students to participate in the spring 2027 and National Campus Programs Los Angeles experience that also features specific LA-focused academic courses, site-based internships and community service.

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• Elon holds largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum
• Personal experience inspires Elon student’s research to help children experiencing homelessness

Dozens of students showcased research projects inspired by personal experiences and academic interests, guided by faculty mentorship, during the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The most recent SURE symposium featured more than 50 students from both 51±ŹÁÏÍű and Queens University of Charlotte, marking the latest example of collaboration between two institutions in the process of merging into a united community.

“SURE continues to be one of the flagship events of Elon’s Undergraduate Research Program. This poster session is a celebration of their dedication and growth as budding young scholars,” said Justin Clar, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of chemistry. “I was especially pleased that we were joined by amazing students from Queens who shared their work with the Elon community.”

At Elon, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience has for years provided student researchers with a stipend to spend eight weeks working full-time on a project in collaboration with a faculty mentor with substantial and recognized expertise in the discipline.

The program concludes every July with a symposium that deepens students’ knowledge of the research experience while offering an opportunity to grow their public speaking and presentation skills.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to share their summer research in a low-stakes environment,” said Kira McEntire, director of undergraduate research and creative work; and associate professor of biology at Queens. “It was also fun to see the Elon students sharing their summer projects and to learn about some of the interests of Elon colleagues.”

At Queens, the university holds its annual in the spring, a campus-wide celebration of academic inquiry and community impact. The day starts with oral and poster presentations, followed by service activities in the afternoon.

Personal connections

For many students at SURE, like Elon student Thomas Gress ’27, projects carried a deeply personal connection. Gress designed a four-week study comparing exercise approaches for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, inspired in part by his brother’s experience with the condition.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include difficulty thinking, severe tiredness, and other issues.

“Before I started this project, (my brother had) been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight. So, this was something small that I could do to be of use,” said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. “For all of these patients, there’s no other option. There are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.”

Queens student Isabella Sherman ’27 has a love for nature that inspired her to explore plant communities at the Carolina Wildlands Foundation with mentor E. Davis Carter, assistant professor of biology at Queens.

“It was an excellent experience,” said Sherman, a conservation biology major from Charlotte. “It’s really close to what I want to do with my career. I love research, I love forestry, and every time I went out there, I was like, ‘This is exactly what I want to do.’ This kind of information is what people take into consideration when they’re trying to develop land or provide an additional environment for fauna and flora.”

Mentoring relationships

A common thread among many of the projects was the close relationship students developed with their faculty mentors.

Anna Grace Gilbert ’27, an Elon psychology major from Knoxville, Tennessee, says Associate Professor of Psychology Sabrina Perkins “completely changed” her undergraduate experience through their work studying infant motor development.

“I’ve worked with (Professor Perkins) technically since the summer of my freshman year. I just reached out to her and was like, ‘I love babies. I’d love to work with you,” Gilbert said. “I’m very grateful. We’ve really bonded over these almost three years.”

For Jack VanValkenburg ’27, a Queens student majoring in data analytics, undergraduate research provided an opportunity to apply his technical skills. He worked with Queens Assistant Professor of Biology Denni Einersson to develop a computerized system for organizing trash collected during community cleanup events.

“It was a great opportunity to work with people who know more than me. The coding that I’ve done in the past is more analytical and this was more developmental,” said VanValkenburg, who is from Atlanta. “(Clean-up crews) would go out with field cards, like pencil and paper, and just mark things down, which was super timely and it’s very inconvenient, and then that just led to a lot of data that wasn’t being used.”

Pushing through the learning process

Elon business analytics major Chase Hannibal ’28 examined the sense of belonging among Black business students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. It can sometimes feel isolating as a Black female business student, Hannibal said.

“I just wanted to see if other students felt that way, and if it was a pattern, what could be fixed,” Hannibal said. “(I wanted to) let other students know that you’re not alone.”

Hannibal says her mentor, Shanetta Pendleton, assistant professor of strategic communications, pushed her to be better, even when she was at her “stopping point.”

“Even when I felt at the worst of the worst, she supported me throughout everything,” Hannibal said. “She was great, and I’m very excited to work with her in the future.”

Amelia Weaver ’28 also explored the experiences of college students, particularly women. Her Elon Honors Fellows research examines the motivations of college-aged women who participate in sports betting after she noticed women were less vocal about the topic in class discussions.

“It made me think about why the women in the class weren’t as talkative or excited about their own experiences with sports betting,” said Weaver, a sport management and media analytics double major with a minor in . “I wondered if this was because they didn’t participate, didn’t care, or they just didn’t want to say anything.”

Weaver said her mentor, Alex Traugutt, an assistant professor of sport management, has helped guide her through the process.

“He immediately said, ‘This is going to be a partnership. We’re going to take steps together. We’re going to figure this out together. I’m not just going to throw you into everything,’” said Weaver. “That’s been really helpful in the learning process.”

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on Elon’s campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

“The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest milestones in a student’s life, and after working with first-year students for many years, I’ve learned that one of the most common things they say is ‘I wish I had known what to expect,’” said Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs. “Phoenix Summer gives students the opportunity to experience college before they get here full time.”

Students lived in the residence halls, navigated campus, ate in the dining hall, learned from Elon faculty, connected with staff and explored the academic and social opportunities Elon has to offer.

Students selected two courses to take throughout the camp, including Order in the court!, An introduction to law and justice, taught by Shilanka Lewis, assistant professor of law; Chemistry in the kitchen, taught by Mary McManamy, associate teaching professor of chemistry; Exploring astronomical and poetic light, taught by Claudine Moreau, assistant teaching professor of physics; and Start-up Spring: concept to creation, taught by Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship and Dan Reis, assistant director of creative learning technologies.

“The Phoenix Summer faculty were truly the highlight of this pre-college experience,” Higgins said. “Their enthusiasm, passion and genuine engagement with their subject matter inspired students to see college as a place to explore their interests and discover new possibilities.”

Each day the students spent time learning and engaging in the classroom through a variety of hands-on lessons.

“The law class was my favorite part of the camp,” said Ava Hendricks, an eleventh grade student from Raleigh, North Carolina. “I have always been interested in law and what we have been doing in the class to prepare for a mock trial has been so cool. Phoenix Summer gave me the opportunity to picture college. I would never have known what college would be like without this possibility.”

During the day, students participated in their courses, while evenings and weekends were filled with social events, activities, several off-campus excursions and signature Elon experiences to help students build community. Activities students participated in included a trivia night, human bingo, s’more making, karaoke, a water balloon fight and a sip and paint.

“My favorite parts of the camp were meeting new people, living in a dorm and attending the classes,” said Sienna Rohan, a twelfth grade student from Greensboro, Georgia. “It’s been nice meeting new people, and I’ve learned a lot about Elon.”

Higgins’ hope is that students left the camp with not only a greater appreciation for Elon, but also a renewed excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead as the students transition from high school to college.

“The primary goal of Phoenix Summer is to provide high school students with an authentic college experience that builds confidence, independence and a sense of belonging before they begin their college journey,” Higgins said. “The most exciting part of the camp was watching the students truly thrive in the experiences we intentionally designed for them.

“I watched them blossom from students who arrived on the first day feeling nervous and uncertain about what to expect into confident, engaged learners — and, in the case of our Order in the Court students, budding lawyers in training. I hope they leave believing in themselves. Whether they ultimately choose Elon or another institution, I hope Elon will always hold a special place in their hearts as the place where they first experienced college and began to see themselves as future college students.”

For more information about Phoenix Summer and information about future camps, contact Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs, at thiggings7@elon.edu.

The Odyssey Program is a merit-based scholarship that provides students with access to mentorship, community building, leadership development, service learning and more. The program also includes a stipend for books and supplies, and an Elon Experiences grant, which will be used for global experiences.

Students admitted to the program come from a variety of backgrounds, including first-generation college students, Federal Pell Grant recipients and/or those who have achieved success despite hardship or other challenges. With 76 students in the Class of 2030, it is the largest yet and brings the program closer to its Boldy Elon goal of 100 Odyssey Program scholars by 2030.

Throughout the week, the students worked on a collaborative project exploring “what it means to thrive as an Odyssey Scholar.” They also participated in sessions focused on academic planning, community building, financial aid, global learning, etc. The week concluded with a block party celebrating their accomplishments with music, lawn games, volleyball, food and more.

Eliza Scott ’30, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina plans to study strategic communications with a minor in poverty and social justice, and says she was nervous coming into the week, but has grown closer to her cohort.

“There’s so much diversity within the group, and it’s so lovely to figure out what things we share and what things we have differences in,” said Scott. “It’s so easy, in the world we live in, to think of someone and generalize and create a wall of division 
 It’s been so beautiful to connect as a cohort and a family.”

On Thursday, July 16, the cohort came together with Elon faculty and staff for “Pizza with the Pros,” an opportunity to network and also hear from and ask questions of a professional panel. Panelists included Luis Garay, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center; Brandy Propst, director of Elon 1010; Abdul-Malik Harrison ’21, assistant director in the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education; Alaina Mills, community director for the Historic Neighborhood; John Moses Brownson, associate director of career advising pre-professional health; and Stephanie Baker, associate professor of public health studies.

The panelists gave a range of advice on topics including what they would tell their past self in college, how to build relationships with faculty/staff and how to manage social and academic life in college. They all emphasized that students should use the resources available to them at the university.

“Ask for help, even when it’s the most difficult thing for you to do; make sure you reach out to all the resources that we’re sharing with you,” Probst said.

The panelists advised the students that, while structure is important, college is also meant to be a time for exploration, and you shouldn’t be so strict that you miss out. Harrison, who graduated from Elon in 2021, noted that it’s important to be flexible and also accept failure as a learning opportunity.

“You’re going to fall flat on your face a couple of times, but it’s how you get back up,” Harrison said. “You have this plan, either written down, physically or in your head. Take it, ball it up, throw it away because it’s not going to necessarily turn out like that. Now, the end goal might look kind of like what you wanted it to be, but how you got there, it’s not going to look like that.”

Brandy Davis ’30, from Charlotte, North Carolina, plans to study accounting and says she’s enjoyed meeting new people and “creating a sense of community and family” throughout Odyssey Week.

“Even though we have differences, everyone respects each other and, if anything happens at the end of the day, I can always come back to Odyssey,” said Davis.

Students apply to the annual research symposium, which usually takes place during the summer before the junior or senior year. It is one of several opportunities for students to showcase undergraduate research, a cornerstone of the Elon education and one of the five Elon Experiences. Students are also able to present scholarly work at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Presentations encompass a variety of topics, including helping teachers work with students facing homelessness, finding therapies for an ‘elusive chronic disease‘ and studying the motivations of women participating in sports betting. 

There will be two separate poster presentations:

• 9 to 10:15 a.m.
• 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.

The Elon community is invited to attend and learn more about the students’ scholarship.

Alumni, parents and friends of Elon are invited to come together for an Evening for Elon in Washington, DC. Connect with fellow members of the Elon community and hear a few highlights from campus.

The event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the National Portrait Gallery. Join us at 7 p.m. for a reception featuring a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres before gathering for a special program at 8 p.m. with remarks from President Connie Ledoux Book. Following the remarks, current alumni donors are invited to the Cheers to Elon celebration, featuring additional food and drinks, lively music and the opportunity to connect with fellow members of the Elon community.  to the designation of your choice to join the fun.

Evening for Elon in Washington, DC with President Connie L. Book 
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
7 p.m. Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
8 p.m. Program with remarks by President Book
8:30 -10 p.m. Cheers to Elon celebration for alumni donors

National Portrait Gallery
8th and G Streets NW
Washington, DC 20001

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

Register at  or contact advancement@elon.edu.

The “Never Be at a Loss for Words” workshop idea was created through a partnership between 51±ŹÁÏÍű and The Groundlings, an industry improv training leader in Los Angeles. The workshop was led by actor, improv performer and The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada. Parada has spent many years teaching actors critical communication skills that prepare them for anything that comes up in an audition, in a live performance or on a film set. Actors Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Kudrow are among the many well-known alumni of The Groundlings.

Now, Elon LA students have learned how to apply those techniques to benefit them along both their career and personal journeys ahead.

51±ŹÁÏÍű Los Angeles, offered by Elon’s ÌęČčČÔ»ćÌęNational Campus Programs, offers spring and summer immersive experiences for students that feature academic courses taught by instructors who are working professionals in their fields and on-site experiential learning at internship sites across the city. The Elon LA experience also includes alumni engagement, community service and unique professional development opportunities.

Based in historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

After two stimulating days of idea sharing and collaborative creation at Duke, the attendees took a shuttle bus to Elon, where the final day’s festivities began with an aerial performance by Michelle Spurlock, local business owner of Upside Aerial Arts & Fitness.

“I think it’s so cool that an educational conference is starting with circus arts,” says Spurlock. “It just feels like a special treat to be able to perform here.”

Spurlock says she wanted to focus her performance on joy, connection, and possibility, which best describes the FDHE Convening. She also hosted a partnered yoga session for the conference attendees, full of “laughter and playful connections.”

“I think Danielle’s done an incredible job organizing a lot of different modalities, a lot of different content, but all connected by this theme of human-centered design as a practice, a process, and mindset, so I’m very excited,” says Vivek Rao, co-organizer of the FDHE Convening, Associate Dean for Master’s and Professional Programs at Duke University.

The morning’s activities continued in Elon’s Innovation Hall with Danielle Lake, director of the Center for Design Thinking, sharing findings from the Center for Design Thinking’s most recent study exploring how Elon alumni continue to use design thinking processes in their post-grad careers as well as their civic and personal lives after working for the Center for Design Thinking. Not only does the study serve as a culmination of the Center’s successful work, but it also provides groundbreaking data on the long-term value of design thinking outside the “Elon bubble.”

Instead of sharing the findings as just another “research presentation,” the Center for Design Thinking team created an interactive trivia game testing attendees’ knowledge in the design thinking field that they all study. Additionally, Lake invited five of the alumni interviewed for this study to join in on the dynamic presentation. These alumni included Tyson Glover ’17, Mackenzie Hahn ’20, Kait MacIntyre ’22, Emily Joss ’23, and Chase Soloman ’23.

“Actually getting a chance to go out into the real world and use some of the skills that we learned right here at Elon is a full-circle moment right now,” says Glover.

Soloman says that he has used his skills from his experience at the Center for Design Thinking in his professional, academic, and personal life, ranging from relationship management to structuring his own research.

Not only did the attendees listen to the experiences of these Elon alumni, but they playfully engaged in the overall game activity. The room was full of boisterous laughter, surprised gasps and animal noises as the guests took their animal-inspired team names to heart.

Once the prizes for the best three teams were awarded, the attendees were guided on a walk through Elon’s campus to continue the day’s activities inside the Center for Design Thinking.

Inside the Center, guests could choose to attend one of two workshops. The workshop in the main Center space focused on hands-on crafting to prompt a creative avenue to explore the design thinking process. The goal of this “Creatively Unprompted” exercise, according to the presenter, Sarah Rottenberg, executive director of the Integrated Product Design Master’s Program at the University of Pennsylvania, was to simulate idea generation without using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

One FDHE attendee, Raja Schaar, Associate Program Director and Associate Professor of Product Design at Drexel University, says she chose the “Creatively Unprompted” workshop to expand on her love of creating ideas and prototyping with her hands “to cultivate ideas and turn them into something else.”

In the next-door Maker Hub space, participants could choose to participate in the “Maker AI Challenge,” which focused on framing AI usage through a creative lens. The Director of the Maker Hub and Assistant Director of Creative Learning Technologies at Elon, Dan Reis, describes this workshop as a way for individuals to bring their ideas to life with AI working as a teammate instead of a generator.

“I’m very curious about broad-based exploration of how AI is being used in education, design, design thinking and teaching design in particular,” says Abbe Don, Interim Director of the Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity (or The Hive)at Pomona College, on why she chose the Hub’s AI workshop.

Once the two-group workshops ended, the convening concluded with a creative four-piece puzzle exercise. On the first day of the convening, participants answered four different prompts assigned to each puzzle piece. These prompts were designed to encourage participants to set intentions on the content they wanted to learn and share, as well as the connections they wanted to make and receive. Instead of keeping these pieces with them, each piece was given to other participants. On the last day, participants received all of their original puzzle pieces to reflect on whether they achieved their intentions and goals.

This activity served as an end to a convening dedicated to encouraging attendees to further their knowledge in the design thinking field through play, exploration, and connection with others. Not only was the activity a meaningful experience, but for the Center’s Danielle Lake, the overall opportunity to host the FDHE Convening was “a dream come true.”

“This year is the start of my eighth year at 51±ŹÁÏÍű, and since the beginning of my time here, one of our goals has been to form a deeper connection with the FDHE community,” said Lake. “I have been able to have such a good support system through this creative and fun group of people.”

“This year’s gathering, hosted by Duke University and 51±ŹÁÏÍű, has been such a wonderful experience, allowing this interdisciplinary group of teacher-scholars to exchange ideas and build meaningful relationships,” says Eugene Korsunskiy, Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College and Executive Director of the Future of Design in Higher Education. “I couldn’t have asked for a better convening.”

While this year’s FDHE Convening served as “a chance to show the culmination of our work here at Elon and to collaborate with our co-hosts at Duke University,” according to Lake, the Center for Design Thinking will continue to provide 51±ŹÁÏÍű and the surrounding Alamance County community with opportunities to create, grow and thrive through the design thinking process.

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While campus is quieter during the summer months, June still brought plenty of activity to 51±ŹÁÏÍű. From the sounds of the annual community concert and picnic to the energy of summer camps and campus events, there was no shortage of memorable moments.

Take a look back at some of the month’s highlights through the eyes of the staff in University Communications.

Engineering success

A former president of the Milwaukee School of EngineeringÌęČčČÔ»ćÌęlongtime leader in engineering and technology education has been named the inaugural dean of 51±ŹÁÏÍű’s new School of Engineering and Computing.

Dr. John Walz joins Elon after nearly a decade helming a private university recognized for its emphasis on experiential learning, strong industry partnerships and workforce preparation.

AI Play

51±ŹÁÏÍű hosted its inaugural AI Play summer camp in June for rising middle school students with an interest in the world of artificial intelligence. Thirteen students participated, learning about artificial intelligence while improving their AI literacy.

Summer Concert & Picnic

Elon faculty, staff, students and friends came together at the Martin Alumni Center for the annual Summer Concert & Picnic on June 25.

Emancipation Celebration

This summer, Elon faculty and staff were invited to engage in meaningful dialogue, reflection and community-building through the Inclusive Excellence Summer Development Series “American Anniversaries: 250 Years, Over 160 Reasons to Heal.”

The series connected two significant milestones in American history — the nation’s 250th anniversary and the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth — through opportunities to explore the ongoing pursuit of freedom, equality and justice.

Together@Elon’s Emancipation Celebration invited community members to enjoy a Juneteenth exhibit, music, sweet treats and games while celebrating freedom, resilience and community.

The PA program in Charlotte will be the Queen City’s first, with the university expecting its inaugural class in January 2027.

During the PA event, attendees will:

• Hear directly from the Charlotte PA faculty/staff about curriculum, clinical experiences, and program outcomes
• Connect with faculty members and gain insight into the student experience
• Participate in small group tours of the Charlotte campus facilities
• Connect with Graduate Admissions staff to discuss the application process and next steps

Location:
51±ŹÁÏÍű Charlotte
330 W Tremont Ave
Charlotte, NC 28203
United States

Complimentary parking is available in the surface lot adjacent to the campus, but please refrain from parking in spots labeled Ava Parking as these are designated for residents of the neighboring apartments. Overflow paid parking is available on Doggett Street and Tremont Avenue as well as at the Design Center Garage located at 269 Doggett Street.

The entrance to Elon Charlotte is located on the side of the building facing the apartments, towards the end of the walkway near the steps. Look for the Elon sign to indicate the correct entrance. Once inside, please proceed through the double glass doors and take a right into the social hub.

A previously scheduled Open House for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has been canceled.