1. Rearticulating Progressive Education: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Scott Morrison and Grace Rasmussen
Synopsis: This study investigates how educators define and enact progressive education today, documenting diverse interpretations and instructional approaches. The research aims to clarify what progressive education means in current practice and how educators’ beliefs and institutional contexts shape their work, offering insights for teacher preparation and equity-driven reform.

2. Philosophies and Practices of Garden-Based Educators: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Scott Morrison and Grace Rasmussen
Synopsis: Focusing on educators behind school garden programs, this research explores their beliefs, motivations and challenges. By gathering survey and interview data, the study identifies the instructional goals, supports, and conditions necessary for sustaining effective, long-lasting school gardens.

3. Pre-service Teacher Learning from Field Experiences During a Study Abroad Program
Authors: Mark Enfield, Jeffrey Carpenter, Heidi Hollingsworth, Bill Burress
Synopsis: This paper examines the experiences of pre-service teachers participating in an extended study abroad program in New Zealand. Through interviews, the research reveals how immersive field experiences shape students’ understanding of curriculum and school culture, particularly in contrast to U.S. practices.

4. Exploring Teacher Perspectives on Contemporary Complexities in K-12 ICT Integration
Authors: Jeffrey Carpenter and Bianca S. Biadeni (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing)
Synopsis: Through interviews with K-12 teachers, this study uncovers the shifting landscape of technology use in post-pandemic classrooms. Teachers describe the dilemmas, contextual factors, and mixed feelings that shape their decisions about ICT integration, highlighting both enthusiasm and skepticism.

5. Becoming Unshackled: A Reflective Inquiry into Healing, Sovereignty, and Relational Abolitionist Being through Course Evaluations
Author: Nermin Vehabovic
Synopsis: This autoethnographic study illuminates how abolitionist and justice-oriented approaches to teaching are recognized or resisted by students. The work connects personal healing to collective liberation, subsequently offering a vision for justice-centered and transformative higher education.

6. Honoring Collective Intergenerational Educational Experiences of Latinas through Pláticas-Testimonios
Authors: Adrianna González Ybarra (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Stephanie Hernandez Rivera
Synopsis: Employing a women of color feminist methodology, this research highlights the intergenerational educational testimonies of Latina educators. The pláticas-testimonios approach uncovers how shared stories and care serve as countermovements for humanizing education research.

7. The Impact of Social Media on K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Profession: An Experimental Study
Authors: Victoria Puglia (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), Suzanne E. Graham (University of New Hampshire), Jeffrey P. Carpenter
Synopsis: This experimental study examines how exposure to positive or negative teaching content on social media shapes teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction, respect, and support. Findings suggest that digital narratives play a significant role in teacher well-being and retention.

8. Countering Brown v. Board: Examining the Wilmington Ten Using the Black Historical Consciousness Framework
Authors: Cara Ward (UNC Wilmington), Lisa Buchanan, Denise M. Ousley-Exum (UNC Wilmington), Donyell L. Roseboro (UNC Wilmington)
Synopsis: This study interrogates the history of school desegregation, beyond how the Brown v. Board ruling is taught and understood. Focusing on the Wilmington Ten, the research discusses implications for teaching civil rights history and preparing future educators.

9. How Elon Musk Contributed to the Demise of the #OakEd Network
Author: Jeffrey Carpenter
Synopsis: An exploration of the rise and fall of the #OakEd teacher network on X/Twitter, this presentation discusses how changes under Elon Musk’s ownership led to the network’s abandonment. The case highlights the volatility of digital platforms for professional learning communities.

10. Futuring Teacher Education: Community Partnerships with Refugee Families for Critical, Caring, and Joyful Learning
Author: Nermin Vehabovic
Synopsis: This three-year ethnographic study details partnerships between teacher candidates and families from refugee backgrounds, emphasizing care, dignity and shared learning across culturally and linguistically diverse community contexts. The work illustrates how collaborations rooted in an ethic of care, emphasizing relational, responsive, and reciprocal engagement between educators and families, as well as the notion of freedom dreaming, which envisions education as a space for imagining and building more just and equitable worlds, can disrupt dominant educational narratives and prepare teacher candidates for justice-oriented practice.

11.�� Shaking the Table: Centering the Voices of Identity Center Practitioners – Symposium
Organized by: Stephanie Hernandez Rivera, Jonathan A. McElderry
Objective: Staff in identity centers on college and university campuses are often champions of social justice, supporting students through a myriad of approaches, including, educational programming, leadership development, and advocacy that challenges oppressive ideologies and practices. Despite the important role of staff, scholarship often focuses on student experience, with minimal attention to the experiences of staff in these spaces. The objective of this session is for scholar-practitioners to share their own self-inquiries focused on their experiences as current or former identity center staff.

“Celebrating Three Decades of International & Global Studies: Advancing Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Excellence” highlighted the efforts and achievements of key faculty and staff in creating the first interdisciplinary major at Elon.

The program on April 21, 2026, included remarks by 51������ President Connie Ledoux Book; Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences; and Andrea Sinn, an associate professor in the Department of History and Geography and the program’s current director.

Nancy Mueller ’27 and Emily Ecker ’26, both international and global studies majors, also delivered remarks.

Book shared the early beginnings of the program, and she noted important milestones and alumni accomplishments. She also praised Professor Emeritus Brian Digre for his leadership in launching the program.

“Three decades later, so many lives have been changed through Dr. Digre’s vision,” Book said. “Thank you to faculty and students for continuing to ask important questions, for your curiosity and for reaching beyond where you are comfortable into our really rich and diverse world.”

Launched for the 1995-1996 academic year as International Studies, Elon’s first interdisciplinary major, the program provides students with a knowledge of international affairs as well as expertise on one of five world regions: Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle East and Africa. From the start, study abroad, foreign language learning and the flexibility for students to shape their own academic paths were central to the program.

“Through international and global education, as well as study abroad, we are preparing students intentionally for new opportunities for collaboration, connection and competition in an era of global interconnectedness,” Kelly said. “Study abroad is far more than an opportunity to travel. It is a transformative educational experience. Study abroad is a cornerstone of the International & Global Studies program because it transforms regional concentration from an academic focus into lived understanding.”

Currently home to more than 100 students and a growing alumni network of over 1,000, the International & Global Studies program continues to explore political and cultural dynamics, technological advances and intertwined global economies. The major equips students with this understanding through an interdisciplinary approach that combines broad knowledge of global issues with focused study of one of the five regions.

The program allows students to build a customized interdisciplinary curriculum, drawing from fields such as politics, economics, history, geography, literature, religion and culture, while focusing on a specific world region.

Tributes to the program came from Nancy Mueller ’27 and Emily Ecker ’26.

“I love that Elon has an array of study abroad opportunities and a unique ‘choose your own adventure’ IGS program where I could align my studies with my interests,” Mueller said. “I enjoy the interdisciplinary nature of the program and its emphasis on language learning. I also love that the program faculty themselves come from various backgrounds, each bringing their own expertise to the table. My semester in Tunisia took me a few steps closer to me dream career where I get to travel to new places, meaningfully interact with local people, use and advance my Arabic language and cultural skills and pursue my own research interests.”

Both students expressed gratitude for the faculty that make up the International & Global Studies Program.

“I am deeply grateful for the faculty here today who are part of what Dr. Idris calls ‘my constellation of mentors’ — people who have supported, challenged, and advocated for me through every high and every setback at Elon,” Ecker said. “These relationships are something no study abroad program, no research project, or line on a resume can replace. The people here today are among the greatest strengths of this program and among the best things about this university, so I urge everyone to take advantage of this unique program.”

Associate Professor of History Andrea Sinn has directed the program since 2023.

“Study abroad is a cornerstone of the International & Global Studies major and one of the most powerful ways students bring their academic learning to life. While coursework builds critical knowledge about global systems, cultures and regions, studying abroad allows students to experience these dynamics firsthand,” Sinn said. “Students can further demonstrate their skills through the Intercultural Global Competency digital badge, highlighting their ability to navigate and communicate effectively in diverse global contexts.

“Together, these experiences prepare graduates for careers that require strong intercultural understanding and global awareness including roles in government, international business, nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, education, diplomacy, and law, as well as for advanced graduate study.”

Since graduating its first cohort in 1996, the International & Global Studies Program has steadily expanded its global reach. In its first five years, 57 students studied abroad in six countries including Australia, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Today, that number has grown to more than 50 countries. A new interactive StoryMap created by Ryan Kirk, associate professor��of geography and environmental studies��and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, captures this evolution, showcasing the experiences of International & Global Studies majors who complete at least one semester abroad, often in regions tied to their academic focus.

“This immersive experience enables students to engage directly with local communities, institutions and perspectives, while earning credit toward their major,” Sinn explained. “For IGS students, studying abroad is not just an opportunity: it is an essential component of their education that fosters adaptability, cultural humility and real-world perspective needed for globally engaged careers. Whether studying politics in London, public health in Rwanda, or culture and language in Argentina, students gain a more nuanced and personal understanding of global issues.

“We take great pride in our students and alumni, whose impactful work embodies and advances the values of IGS across the globe.”

Professor of Religious Studies Pamela Winfield, the program’s associate director since 2023, said the 30th anniversary serves as a reminder that cultivating the values of global citizenship, international cooperation and cross-cultural collaboration continues to be relevant.

“I see this milestone anniversary as an opportunity to reaffirm our faith in those values and in our mission to educate and prepare this next generation for their international careers both here and abroad,” Winfield said. “It inspires me to look ahead to the next 30 years and beyond, when our substantive coursework, foreign language training, transformative study abroad and real-world internship experience will attract even more IGS majors and expand our already vibrant world-wide network of IGS alumni.”

Many faculty advisory board members attended the celebration, including Damion Blake, associate professor of political science and public policy; Shereen Elgamal, assistant teaching professor of Arabic; Sean Giovanello, assistant professor of political science and public policy; Nick Gozick, dean of global education and assistant professor; Mussa Idris, associate professor of anthropology, Waseem Kasim, assistant professor of history; Douglas Kass, associate professor of cinema and television arts; Juan Leal Ugalde, associate professor of Spanish; Ariela Marcus-Sells, associate professor of religious studies; Vitaliy Strohush, associate professor of economics; and Yidi Wu, O’Briant Developing Professor and associate professor of history.

History of the program

Brian Digre, professor emeritus of history, secured a Department of Education grant to launch the university’s first interdisciplinary major. Established in 1995-96 as International Studies, with only an African regional concentration, the program grew with additional regional concentrations in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. By 2005, immersive global learning became central, with study abroad, advanced language study and a senior seminar requirement for all majors.

Under the leadership of Safia Swimelar, professor of political science and public policy, the program underwent a transformation during the 2015-16 academic year. The International and Global Studies Program adopted a revised mission, new interdisciplinary themes and enhanced language expectations.

The introduction of IGS 250 International Studies: Approaches and Perspectives further strengthened the curriculum by providing a shared foundation for all majors.

ENG 1100 Writing: Argument and Inquiry is a required first-year writing course that teaches students writing practices in both academic and non-academic contexts. All sections of this course share common outcomes but have different structures depending on faculty expertise and student interest. Eidum’s course focuses on intercultural communication and writing across cultures.

One of Eidum’s main inspirations for initiating a COIL project was Associate Professor of Geography Sandy Marshall. A strong supporter of COIL initiatives at Elon, Marshall started a Community of Peace (CoP) and is helping sponsor Elon faculty to get COIL training at SUNY’s COIL center. Marshall’s training and support prompted Eidum to begin collaborating with a Ukrainian university.

Eidum was also driven to conduct a COIL project because of her history as an international educator. She’s studied abroad, taught study abroad, taught in other countries and already has several international collaborations under her belt

“When I learned about COIL, it seemed like a logical next step,” Eidum said.

A former Peace Corps volunteer, Eidum has previously worked with Ukrainian schools and universities. She got in contact with the COIL coordinator in Ukraine via Hope Windle, SUNY’s COIL director. This connection opened the door to many Ukrainian universities who were interested in working with Eidum. Antonina Devitska at Uzhhorod National University (UzhNU) turned out to be the best option for her ENG 1100 course and timeline.

Eidum explained that she was looking for a project partner with similar learning objectives. Devitska had collaborated with other United States universities on COIL projects before and had a background in academic writing to tap into.

When reflecting on her experience working with Devitska on this project, Eidum described it as “really refreshing.” Devitska’s experience as an educator and collaborator made her easy to work with, and her students were friendly and interested in meeting Eidum’s.

“I think my English 1100 students were at first unsure about what this project would be like, but they rose to the occasion and learned a lot about Ukraine, Ukrainians, and collaborating with people across the globe,” Eidum said.

While the class primarily focused on academic English and communications, both the Elon and Ukrainian students are pursuing different fields of study. The students in Eidum’s class also have a wide range of travel experience and intercultural communication knowledge. Several are international students themselves. The variety of backgrounds brought multiple ideas and personal interests to the table. To begin the COIL collaboration, students met for an hour to get to know one another, and again for another hour to form groups and decide their presentation topics.

Following the theme of intercultural communication and storytelling between the United States and Ukraine, groups examined topics such as traditional or common meals, video game culture, common stereotypes across cultures, and public transportation. They connected asynchronously through WhatsApp to coordinate group work. Final presentations were held during a 90-minute period on Zoom.

“All the projects noted differences between the countries and cultures but also found common threads that were really meaningful,” Eidum said. “These presentations were really interesting and there was no absence of things to say!

Eidum also discussed how the COIL project fostered her students’ growth by forming international connections. She explained how this project required them to put their personal experiences aside and think about what student life might look like outside of Elon and the United States. Challenges arose such as language barriers, time zones and time changes. These made collaboration more difficult and provided students with important learning opportunities in the process.

“I think the most important factor in the students’ collaborations were the informal discussion between US and Ukrainian students,” Eidum said. “While they noticed differences they found a lot of commonalities in their lives. That connection proved to be meaningful.”

Overall, Eidum was thrilled with the result of the project. She was impressed with the high quality of final presentations and how much discussion was spurred.

“We planned for 60 minutes of presentations (about 10 minutes/group), but we had to cut them off at 100 minutes,” Eidum said. “They were so eager to engage and learn!”

Eidum attributes her COIL project’s success to many factors. These include the planning of leading faculty members, the training and confidence she received from COIL CoP faculty, the flexibility and dedication of her students, and the kindness, commitment, and flexibility of the Ukrainian students.�� She also noted how completing this COIL project will likely set her students up for success post-graduation.

“I see a lot of people — friends, family, former students — working on international teams in their careers,” Eidum said. “Introducing students to international teamwork and intercultural communication in a low-stakes way seems like a great tool for their future lives. Also, seeing issues from multiple perspectives is an important skill and COIL is clear framework to support that.”

William S. Long Professor and Professor of Education Jeff Carpenter was honored with the Career Impact Award from the Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group.

TACTL promotes the development and evaluation of preservice and in-service programs aimed at transforming teacher education, preparing technology-proficient educators to meet the needs of 21st-century learners.

“The TACTL board honored Jeff with this award because of his tremendous impact in terms of time (his many years of contributions to the field), reach (he has collaborated with colleagues around the world and is cited everywhere), imagination (he has changed the way the world thinks about teachers and social media), and care (he has done all this while being a mentor to countless students and early career colleagues, and he consistently uplifts everyone around him),” said Bret Staudt Willet, chair of the Teachnology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning Board.

Carpenter was honored with the award during the��American Educational Research Association conference in Los Angeles, California. Several of Carpenter’s colleagues spoke at the event and also recorded recognizing his work and accomplishments.

“You gave me wings, twice, in two different ways,” said Hermann Dzingel, a research associate and Ph.D. candidate from��Universität Potsdam. “When we visited you in Elon in 2025, you picked me up from the airport, and you took me straight to a restaurant and treated me to chicken wings because I was really hungry (…). The second way was more important metaphoriclaly because I went into research four years ago, having been a teacher for a long time, having great imposter syndrome, not belonging here and meeting you in 2024 and remmebering sitting with you (…) you told me about your life (…) and this gave me the wings to carry on in research and I wouldn’t be here (without) you.”

Carpenter previously served on the leadership team of the Special Interest Group and was previously awarded the Best Reviewer and Best Paper Awards. He says TACTL-SIG and its members have had a positive impact on him and his career.

“The Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group gave me a home in the American Educational Research Association,” Carpenter said. “This was particularly the case at the AERA Annual Meeting, as the SIG made a potentially impersonal event that draws 16,000 attendees start to feel like a chance to see and catch up with valued friends. It was particularly meaningful that 16 kind folks (including many of my co-authors)��shared generous and humbling words about my impact on them, and the SIG. The award was a complete surprise, and I was fortunate to have my father in attendance to share in the moment.”

Near my home in North Carolina, tourists often pose for photos by a large dam on the Haw River. I imagine they must carefully crop those photos, because while downstream offers a pretty view, a monstrous island of trash mars the dam’s upstream side. Plastic bottles, balls, and debris interlock with a sizable log jam just waiting for the next hard rain to raise river levels and wash it all downstream.

When I first moved here, I tried to interest people in a river clean-up, but we all chose to look downstream. We’d say the trash pile was too big to tackle. Why bother? The choice seemed to be: Look upstream and sigh, feel overwhelmed by the mounting garbage; or look downstream and enjoy the relatively unpolluted view.

Either choice had the same result: inaction.

Rebecca Solnit’s much-loved Hope in the Dark critiques both optimists and pessimists as being guilty of certainty of outcome, a position that allows both camps to “excuse themselves from acting.” She suggests a middle path, a moving away from complacent certainty into a space of hopeful action.

But how does one have hope in a time of great climate change?

Several years ago, a smaller trash pile backed up against a sliding metal gate near shore. Again, the choice: look downstream and enjoy the slow-moving creek. Or look upstream: see a trash pile gyrating in the current.

My upstream view was depressing. I assumed that this pile would remain the smaller cousin to our monster trash patch. Why bother? So I chose to look downstream, enjoy the optimistic unpolluted view. There is a freedom in ignoring problems.

I looked away, and for me, the matter was settled.

But the trash pile changed. Silt accumulated. Plants appeared. By last spring, the trash was no longer visible. It had become a small island.

I assumed the island would wash away, but this spring it has a thicker base, the plants lush. A newcomer would likely call it pretty and never guess the new island is founded on trash.

Let’s not be naïve. The trash remains beneath the island, and the river is still full of other pollutants and microplastics. Yet I refuse to let this knowledge become the defining factor of my view. I now choose to abandon my certainty and embrace hope. And hope is not naïve. Solnit frames hope as an “embrace of the unknown and the unknowable,” a mindset that frees us from our tired locked-in views of optimism and pessimism. That freedom allows us act.

In our current era of political polarization and climate change upheaval, it’s easy to feel helpless, our bodies and minds the trash piles forming from the negativity this country now seems to revel in. But the trash pile also teaches that nature can be regenerative, and we need to believe that our smallest actions, like silt accumulating over trash, can make an impact.

We all have power.

Start small and local. Recently our local outfitter, The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co. hosted a well-attended Haw River clean-up. No money exchanged hands. No one profited monetarily. Volunteers paddled into uncertainty and returned with canoes full of trash. That’s meaningful action.

We have not lost. We are not helpless.

We cannot control what’s coming, but we can open ourselves to a hopeful mindset and step into that uncertain river. It’s still alive and full of possibility. Remember: a trash pile can completely morph into an island. Do you not yet believe? What would it take to do one small thing to make your place better?

“Odyssey” Book Club

Young’s book club is currently reading Homer’s “Odyssey”, a well-known ancient Greek epic poem about Odysseus, an Achaean warlord on a long, tumultuous journey to his home in Ithaca after plundering Troy. Over the course of a decade, Odysseus encounters both incredible and dangerous things as his ship loses its way time and time again. Young explains how the epic goes beyond detailing the many obstacles Odysseus and his crew encounter on the trip. The story also delves into the protagonist’s personal journey toward moral and intellectual self-discovery, which connects to how many of the students in Young’s book club are set to graduate from Elon at the end of the semester.

“Odysseus is changed through this journey of discovery,” Young said. “That’s the story I hope stays with my students as they set sail on their next adventures.

Young explained that this book club was started because of his students. Toward the end of fall semester, many asked if he’d like to read a book with them during the upcoming spring semester while on teaching sabbatical. Young quickly agreed.

Since many of these students had enjoyed reading Homer’s “Iliad” while taking his course, Democracy and Its Critics, “Odyssey” seemed like the perfect choice. It also coincided with student interest in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film adaptation of the epic poem.

In addition to Young, there are nine students in the book club this semester, and the group meets every other week. While most participants are students in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, Young noted that the group is not off-limits to students outside of it. He also explained that he doesn’t show up to each meeting with an agenda for students to follow, instead allowing for open discussion on any confusing or interesting segments of the epic.

“I organize our meetings, but I’m not in charge of leading the discussion to some pre-established conclusion,” Young said. “My favorite moments are those where others are talking back and forth, voices raised, and I can sort of fade into the background.”

When reflecting on all he’s gained from running this book club, Young described that he’s continuing to learn more about “Odyssey”, an epic he’s already read several times and knows very well. He appreciates the opportunity to read a book with a group of students outside of a formal classroom setting.

“I’m heartened to simply sit and read together, without the pressures of grades (for students) or grading (for me),” Young said.

Young also described the sense of community his book club has brought to participants. One student created a group chat, and many members eat dinner together after weekly meetings. Young reflected on a recent dinner and discussion event he hosted at his farm in Chatham County, explaining that he plans to invite students back for a fancy-dress dinner party at the end of the semester to celebrate their achievement.

“When I look back to my own time in college, it was those long conversations about books and ideas, over and after dinner with friends, that I cherish the most,” Young said.

Looking ahead, Young hopes to continue reading books outside of class time with students, staff, and faculty members. While he can’t confirm anything yet, classic works he’d like his book club to read next include Dante’s “Inferno” and Frederick Douglass’ “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”.

“I said earlier that the “Odyssey” is a story about a journey of discovery and growth,” Young said. “I hope that ten or fifteen years, or forty years, in the future, my students will be well on their own journeys and look back on this semester as a highlight of their time at Elon. I hope they can sense the respect and appreciation I have for each of them, and the joy I take from their love of learning.”

“The Penelopiad” Book Club

Meinking’s book club is currently reading Margaret Atwood’s “The Penelopiad”. Meinking explained that during the fall semester, her Classical Mythology course read and discussed Homer’s “Odyssey”. Because the class was working with Emily Wilson’s translated version of the epic, topics of discussion kept returning to questions of gender, translation and society.

Meinking expressed how focusing on these themes made her think even more deeply about retellings of classical myths. Upon receiving the Read On, Elon invitation to submit toward the end of fall semester, she jumped at the chance to investigate another retelling.

Wilson’s translation of “Odyssey” was also Meinking’s inspiration to choose “The Penelopiad” for her book club. This text retells the story of Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and her slave girls, who are atrociously mistreated in “Odyssey”. Other reasons for her choice were the novel’s accessibility to non-experts and manageability for a semester-long time frame.

Meinking’s book club currently has 17 members, consisting of 15 students, one faculty member, and herself. The group is currently about halfway through the book, and discussions have circulated around Penelope’s character, comparisons to Homer’s “Odyssey”, the juxtaposition of Homer and Penelope, family structures and dynamics, how to depict the past, what ancient people would say about themselves 2,000 years later, and more.

“Our lively conversations so far have been driven by student observations, comments, and questions,” Meinking said. “I’ve been so impressed by how carefully and thoughtfully everyone has engaged with the book!”

Meetings are held once a month, and there will be four total over the course of the semester. Read On, Elon sponsored the book club, and the Classical Studies program will provide refreshments for the last meeting. While the group covers themes in classical mythology, it is open to everyone at Elon. Meinking hopes to host another bookclub during the upcoming fall semester, and encourages anyone who missed this semester to join.

Meinking also reflected on how her book club has fostered community among members, noting how it has helped both faculty and students connect with one another.

“Many of the students were in my fall course and some others are senior majors in Classical Studies,” Meinking said. “Whether or not someone is a major or minor, I think this has been a wonderful opportunity for students to get to know other students who share interests and are in different years of study at Elon.”

She describes book club meetings as ‘pretty informal’, explaining how her role is more of an organizer and occasional facilitator. She does not control where conversations go, instead allowing everyone to share their perspectives outside of a formal classroom setting.

Meinking hopes that students gain either a better understanding of or new perspective on the ancient and modern worlds.

“The chance to read “The Penelopiad” so soon after reading “Odyssey” really opens up paths of inquiry and discovery, and the camaraderie of the reading group enhances and sustains that intellectual engagement,” Meinking said.

When reflecting on all she’s gained from this experience, Meinking described how impressed she was by the students in her book club, who have spent many late Friday afternoons talking enthusiastically about the book and the ancient world. Discussing with these students has inspired her to continue hosting book clubs at least once each academic year. She also noted how her book club has given her ideas for potential courses to offer in future years.

While Meinking’s current book club will end this spring, Elon’s Classical Studies program will provide other opportunities in upcoming semesters. Looking ahead to future book clubs, many novels are strong contenders.

“Where to begin? I’m currently reading “Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung” by Nina MacLaughlin, which is amazing,” Meinking said. “A lot of students I talk with have read or are interested in reading Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” or “Circe”; there’s “I, Medusa: A Novel” by Ayana Gray, Costanza Casati’s “Clytemnestra” and “Babylonia” … we’ll see what students might like to explore.”

Hosted by the Maker Hub, the 7th Annual Maker Takeover Event will take place on Wednesday, April 29, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Moseley Student Center.

This free, drop-in event is open to students, staff and faculty. With more than 40 student-made projects on display, it’s an opportunity to explore the creativity of the Elon Maker Hub community and make your own projects take home.

Activities taking place include:

• Ice cream made with liquid nitrogen by Elon Dining
• Create your own sun prints using a cyanotype process
• Building a custom picture frame
• Celebrating 10 years of the Maker Hub with a photo gallery
• A brand-new escape room: Escape from Wonderland
• Retro and vintage games to play
• Custom printed t-shirts (while supplies last!)
• And more!

Maker Hub staff members, Addie Whitaker and Gage DeMarco have been able to work closely as they each prepared for this year’s Maker Takeover.

DeMarco created a wooden cabinet dartboard that can open and close. He hopes to encourage others to see that they can also create something through the Maker Hub, regardless of their prior experience.

“I am most excited to display the woodworking projects that I have been working on for some time. In particular, I wanted to challenge myself with something bigger than anything I’d made before,” said DeMarco ‘28.

“My role is to plan activities for Maker Takeover attendees with three of my fellow Team Leads. I have been working specifically on getting a few activities ready for our guests, such as cyanotypes, t-shirt making, and button making, “ said Whitaker ‘28.

Cyanotype printing uses the sun’s UV light to create a one-of-a-kind deep blue print on photographic paper or fabric. Activities like this are available to give attendees a chance to create a personalized craft with assistance close by.

Maker Takeover will also feature an area for current students to display projects they’ve been working on through Elon Kickbox, a Maker Hub program supporting students in their projects through funding, resources, and mentorship.

The Kickbox projects made by students will be on display at Maker Takeover, and students will be available to discuss their projects and how they went about making them. This year, students made projects ranging from a pop-up projector for their truck bed, to an assistive mobility device to help with injury recovery called NexG8, to a set of motorized wings that can open and close with a remote. They span from passion projects to research and provide a platform to showcase creativity and problem-solving in self-driven projects.

“Maker Takeover is about bringing the Maker Hub out into the open so students, whether they already use the space or have never stepped inside, can experience what’s possible,” said DeMarco.

Maker Takeover highlights the creative and innovative students in Elon’s Maker Hub community and aims to engage the campus community with the Maker Hub. Whether you’re coming for nitrogen ice cream, custom t-shirts, or to support students and their projects, there’s plenty to discover!

Visit the Maker Hub website for more information or follow us on Instagram at .

Sudibyo, an assistant teaching professor of Spanish who joined Elon in 2023, brings a global perspective shaped by her Indonesian roots and academic journey. Through her teaching, research and campus involvement, she is creating spaces where students feel a sense of belonging, something she says first drew her to Elon.

“I really enjoyed the company of my colleagues, and they were such wonderful people,” Sudibyo said of her first visit to Elon. “Then the students, during my teaching demo, were all engaged, and it just felt like a great place.”

Being from Indonesia, Sudibyo describes her academic path as somewhat “random.”

“We don’t speak Spanish in Indonesia, it’s not our national language and we don’t have a lot of connections to the Spanish-speaking world in that way,” said Sudibyo, who decided to major in Spanish.

Now, as a professor, Sudibyo focuses on bridging those connections, encouraging students to think beyond traditional cultural boundaries, particularly through her research studying the intersections of the Asian and the Spanish-speaking world. Her scholarship highlights stories that, she says, are often overlooked, including the history of the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule and the presence of Asian voices within Hispanic culture.

“Something I’ve discovered that is not talked about a lot are the Hispanic Philippines,” she said. “There are a lot of cultural productions, all in Spanish, and it was never taught to me as a graduate student. It became very personal.”

By bringing these perspectives into her courses, including “Women’s Writing in the Hispanic World,” Sudibyo is broadening how students understand language, culture and identity, while also increasing visibility for Asian narratives in traditionally Eurocentric spaces.

Outside the classroom, Sudibyo continues that work as a faculty-in-residence in the Danieley Neighborhood, where she connects with students on a more personal level.

“It’s a very rewarding experience because you get to interact with students outside of class,” she said. “They get to see me as a human being.”

She also serves as an advisor to the Polyglot Living Learning Community, helped launch the Spanish Club in Fall 2025, and channels her passion for event planning into creating inclusive, community-building experiences.

For Sudibyo, mentorship is one of the most meaningful aspects of her role, and central to creating spaces of belonging.

“Seeing the students’ growth and seeing them reaching the goals that they’ve said they wanted to do—I think that’s the most rewarding part,” she said.

That impact is also felt by her students.

“Dr. Sudibyo has impacted me at Elon by being a mentor for me as a student but also as a person,” said Hailey Landers ‘28, president of the Spanish Club and a dance science major from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. “Her guidance and genuine support have made a lasting difference in both my personal and academic journey.”

During API Heritage Month, Sudibyo’s presence on campus also carries deeper significance. As one of the coordinators of Elon’s API Employee Resource Group, she is intentional about increasing visibility and challenging narrow perceptions of what it means to be Asian.

“When we say ‘Asian,’ a lot of us think of East Asia,” she said. “For me, it’s important to show up because it shows Asia is a diverse continent with so many cultures and so many languages.”

Through her teaching, mentorship and advocacy, Sudibyo is helping ensure that diversity is not just acknowledged at Elon but actively understood, represented and celebrated.

Elon honors Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

As part of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 51������ is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month, Elon is also recognizing API Heritage Month through a series of events and programming.

Held in conjunction with National Health Promoting Campuses Week, the event aligns with Elon’s effort to build a healthier campus community.

“HealthEU Day reflects our commitment to building a campus where well-being is embedded in every aspect of the student experience,” said Jana Lynn Patterson, dean of student health and well-being, associate vice president for Student Life and assistant professor. “It’s about creating an environment where students, faculty and staff are supported in thriving every day.”

HealthEU Day’s design puts that commitment into action, supporting the campus community.

“Well-being is not built in one day, but this event creates space to pause, reflect and try new practices — especially at a time in the semester when students are balancing exams, assignments and other commitments,” said Anu Räisänen, director of HealthEU initiatives and assistant professor.

Throughout the day, campus partners connected with students, faculty, and staff, fostering connections and highlighting how well-being is supported across the university.

“Our work is centered on helping students find a sense of meaning and belonging,” said Jan Register, administrative assistant in the Truitt Center.

That sense of belonging is strengthened through community.

“Being supported by a community is essential to health and well-being,” said Hillary Zaken, director of multifaith programming and engagement. “Events like this create opportunities to connect with resources and with each other.”

Campus partners hosted activities across campus, including College Coffee with campus partners, opportunities to sample, health-forward food with Elon Dining, sessions with Fleet Feet, Drum, De-Stress and Decompress, CommUnity Field Day, Pickleball Smash and the STARS Celebration.

These activities gave students, faculty and staff space to explore what well-being looks like in practice and the variety of ways to engage with well-being on campus

“HealthEU Day shows how every part of campus contributes to well-being,” said Stephanie Vaughn, practice manager. “It highlights the many ways students, faculty and staff can find support and stay connected.”

While HealthEU Day offered a moment to pause, students also reflected on how to sustain well-being in their daily lives and what it means to them.

“Wellness is about maintaining what you learn, Benji Altmann ‘26 said. “It’s eating well and staying active beyond just days like this.”

Expanding on Altman’s philosophy about wellness, Mindy Monroe ’26 stated, “Wellness is about taking time for yourself and caring for both your mind and body.”

Students also emphasized the importance of maintaining well-being while navigating the demands of college life.

“I think it’s important as a college student to keep up with your personal health and well-being,” Gigi Maiorana ‘29 said. “With classes and extracurriculars, it can get stressful, so having a day like this helps remind us to take care of ourselves.”

Staff members also emphasized that prioritizing well-being extends beyond students.

“It’s important to prioritize both student and employee well-being,” said Laura McGuire, admissions counselor. “Events like HealthEU Day highlight the different resources and support systems available across campus.”

That commitment to well-being is shared across the campus community.

“Health and well-being are a shared responsibility across campus,” said Kassidy Puckett, assistant director of admissions for event programming. “Taking time to focus on it, even for a day, helps remind us to carry those practices into our daily lives.”

As the day came to a close, a common theme emerged: well-being at Elon extends beyond a single event. HealthEU Day highlights the university’s commitment to health and well-being, which takes shape through daily habits, personal reflection, and shared care among students, faculty and staff.

“Sustainability, health and wellness are deeply connected because the health of people is inseparable from the health of the environments we live in,” said Kelly Harer, associate director of sustainability for education and outreach. “Clean air, safe water, nutritious food systems and access to green spaces all support both environmental sustainability and human wellbeing.”

A group of Elon students learned firsthand how these connections can come to life during an alternative break experience.

Alternative breaks, coordinated by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, provide students with opportunities to engage in experiential learning while serving the community. Each experience is student-led, with coordinators playing a key role in shaping the experience, including selecting the location, theme and building relationships with community partners. Additionally, two faculty or staff members are a part of each program and serve as learning partners with the student leaders.

“Alternative break experiences immerse students in communities and allow them to understand a place through its history and culture, while also allowing them to learn from and work alongside community leaders and residents,” said Bob Frigo, assistant dean and director of Kernodle Center for Civic Life. “That combination is a truly powerful community-based engaged learning opportunity.”

For the recent trip to Savannah, Georgia, Betsy Knapp ’28 and Nivea Millner ’26 served as student coordinators, with support from Kaylee Hudson G’26 and Kassidy Puckett ’24 G’26. When Knapp and Millner met last spring to plan the experience, one interest quickly emerged: sustainability.

“We recognized that many students on campus are passionate about environmental issues, further reinforcing our decision,” Knapp said. “As I learned more about the environmental challenges facing Savannah and the work local organizations are doing to address them, it confirmed that sustainability would be a meaningful and relevant focus.”

Knapp and Millner’s perspectives were also reflected among the students on the trip.

“Almost all of the participants on our trip had an existing connection with sustainability either through service or their major,” Millner said. “The experience became less about understanding the issue itself and more about connecting with the community we are seeking to serve and strengthening connections with other students at Elon.”

This shared foundation shaped how students approached their work throughout the week.

Sustainability in action

Through partnerships with organizations, such as Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, Re: Purpose Savannah and the Ocean Discovery Center, students engaged in hands-on work addressing food insecurity, environmental conservation and community education.

But beyond the service itself, students began to see sustainability not just as environmental action, but as a reflection of everyday choices and their impact on others.

For some, that realization began with access to food. One student reflected on the privilege of choosing what to eat – something that became more apparent while working with Second Harvest, where even slightly damaged food could make a meaningful difference to someone else.

“It got me thinking that I am one of the people who is privileged enough to choose the box that is ‘pretty enough’ to eat, Mealnie Alarcon ’29 said. “Some people just don’t have that privilege.”

Others were struck by how small actions can create a large-scale impact.

“In just two hours at Second Harvest, we were able to make 4,100 meals,” Knapp shared enthusiastically. “That’s such a small time commitment, but it really makes a big difference in the community.”

On Tybee Island, the connection between environmental health and community well-being came into focus. As students began collecting trash around the beach, the sheer number of items they collected became evidence of how individual behavior can affect entire ecosystems.

“It’s interesting to see how much of an issue trash is, just looking at all that we picked up today,” Knapp said.

This reflection led students to rethink not only how they engage in cleanup efforts, but how they can prevent harm in the first place.

“Whenever you put effort into trying to make an impact, you can see a greater impact,” Millner said. “ You should also make sure you’re not contributing to the problem.”

Service enhancing well-being

These experiences also shaped students’ own well-being. For some, the trip provided a mental reset.

“I have a lot of things going on right now, Alarcon expressed. “This trip was an escape. I got a mental break from these things going on campus.”

For others, it created opportunities to build new relationships, strengthen leadership skills and engage more deeply with the communities around them.

“It lets people meet other people,” Millner said. “Forcing you to talk to each other and figure things out together.”

That sense of connection expanded beyond undergraduate students. Hodson and Puckett both noted how the experience supported their professional growth and deepened their engagement with students.

“It’s allowed me to build more relationships with students outside of my office,” Puckett said.

“The experience has given me different ways and tools to get out in the community and meet and talk to other people,” Hodson added.

By the end of the week, sustainability was no longer just about protecting the planet. It became a way of thinking — one rooted in care for people, places and the environment.

“By spending a week immersed in a community working closely with community partners, students get to see how these organizations play a crucial role in creating healthy and sustainable communities,” said Andrew Moffa, assistant director of the Kernodle Center.