51±¬ÁÏÍø

Hundreds of 51±¬ÁÏÍø students will be involved in activities during CELEBRATE! 2011, a weeklong celebration of student achievements in academics and the arts that begins April 26 and runs through May 2. Programs include seminars, art exhibitions, plays, a film festival, dance and music performances.

In the new issue of the Magazine of Elon, President Leo M. Lambert outlines plans for eight major construction projects as part of the Elon Commitment strategic plan. More than 1,284 new residence hall spaces will be built over the next three years as part of a transformation of the residential experience. Other projects include a new retail building, including the campus bookstore, on Williamson Avenue; the Gerald L. Francis building on Haggard Avenue for graduate programs in physical therapy and physician assistant studies; a new multi-faith center in the Academic Village; and new facilities for Phoenix athletics.

Students and staff from 51±¬ÁÏÍø gathered May 1 in Graham, N.C., for the dedication of the 20th Habitat for Humanity home built by Elon volunteers since the international nonprofit program first established a chapter at the university in 1989.

Research shows how the growth of a nation’s economy harms its air quality, at least until citizens live comfortably enough to demand change. Does the same hold true for water pollution? 51±¬ÁÏÍø senior Stephanie Franz examined that question, and her work is the last to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on undergraduate research presented during CELEBRATE! 2011.

Student leaders from a variety of academic disciplines were honored April 28 at the annual Omicron Delta Kappa awards ceremony in Whitley Auditorium, an annual ceremony that coincides with CELEBRATE! week. ODK recognizes students who have provided outstanding leadership in their junior or senior years, and who have maintained high academic performance.

Though most news coverage of the Catholic Church focuses on its scandals, the positive impacts of the world’s largest organization can often be understated, which 51±¬ÁÏÍø senior Stephen Ferguson argues based on his research into the emerging public perception of the institution. His work is the latest to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on undergraduate research to be presented during CELEBRATE! 2011.

Work by 51±¬ÁÏÍø students and professors took center stage Wednesday in the opening hours of SURF 2011 with a new morning format for the annual event that recognizes faculty and undergraduate research. Twenty-two professors took part in third annual "Celebration of Faculty Scholarship" in McKinnon Hall, where they shared work in a poster presentation side-by-side with students who had been accepted to display findings of their own endeavors.

What can dance instructors do differently to help novice students avoid injury? And how do advanced students help in that regard? For 51±¬ÁÏÍø senior Bridget Kelly, answering those questions has earned her acclaim at a major international conference, and her work is the latest to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on undergraduate research to be presented during CELEBRATE! 2011.

CELEBRATE! Week 2011 got underway Tuesday with a series of events that included a dance concert on the patio of the Center for the Arts. Watch some of the performance and view a gallery of images captured by Brian Meyer and Kim Walker in the Office of University Relations.

Since the arrival of the Spanish to Ecuador, indigenous peoples have struggled against political and economic elites trying to introduce Western norms that undermine cultural identities. Elon senior Chris Jarrett is examining how groups interact with Ecuadorian society through political activity and development projects, and his research on the Amazonian Kichwa people is the latest work to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on Lumen Scholars in the Class of 2011.