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Lee to Host Annual McNair-Ledford Undergraduate Research Symposium

by Kamea Sutherland

Cleveland, TN (09/11/2026) — On Thursday, Sept. 17, Lee University will host the 8th annual McNair-Ledford Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Science and Math Complex (SMC) for students from all disciplines to present their research. The event will begin at 12 p.m. and end with awards recognition at 5 p.m.

"This will be an opportunity to support students who have dedicated their efforts to advancing research in their fields," said Dr. Brian DeLoach, director of the McNair Scholars Program and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. "The students presenting have spent months and even years under their faculty mentor's guidance conducting original research across various disciplines. The symposium further offers a chance to network and explore various graduate school and professional options for life after Lee."

Twenty poster presentations will be featured in the SMC Great Room. Titles of student projects include "The Role of Presidential Rhetoric in Shaping Immigration Attitudes Over Time," "Bright-Eyed And Bushy-Tailed? A Quantitative Study on Various Lightings' Effect on Intern Productivity and Satisfaction," and "'So, Where're Y' From?': American Written Media's Effects on Appalachian Identity and Perceived Otherness."

Fifteen oral presentations will take place in SMC Room 255 and 257. These will include "Interpreting Mystical Vision in Julian of Norwich's Showings," "Human Rights Abuses in the Fashion Industry," and "Christian Political Progress in Saint Augustine's City of God," among others.

Along with Lee students, the symposium will host participants from several other schools, including Bryan College, East Tennessee State University, Milligan University, University of Virginia, and Tusculum University.

In conjunction with the symposium, a Graduate School Fair will be held in the SMC Great Room from noon to 3 p.m. Fifteen graduate programs will be represented.

The McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded TRIO initiative that serves first-generation, income-eligible, and underrepresented students with faculty-mentored research experience in preparation for graduate studies. Program services include coaching meetings, professional membership, funding for conference presentations, funding for research activities, and a multi-disciplinary academic community.

The McNair-Ledford Symposium is free and open to the public.

For more information about the McNair Program or the symposium, visit leeuniversity.edu/mcnair/ or email mcnair@leeuniversity.edu.

Media Attachments

A student presents research during the 2025 McNair-Ledford Undergraduate Research Symposium at Lee University. This year’s symposium will feature student research from a variety of disciplines on Thursday, Sept. 17.

A student presents research during the 2025 McNair-Ledford Undergraduate Research Symposium at Lee University.

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