X-SIG Hosts 10th Annual Poster Presentations
By Ella Prieto, Staff Writer
A student reads an X-SIG presentation on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022 (Photo Annie Bolenbaugh/The Gettysburgian)
The Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) Program held its 10th annual Poster Presentation event in the lobby of the Science Center on Oct. 28 from 2-4 p.m. The event, as always, occurred over Family Weekend so students could present to their visiting relatives in addition to peers and faculty members.
The research presented during the event was conducted the previous summer by rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, along with faculty mentors. This year, 70 students and 25 faculty mentors participated in X-SIG, filling three floors of the Science Center with their findings.
The posters included a variety of subjects and science fields, from natural sciences like biology and chemistry, to social sciences like economics.
Ben Durham ’24 worked on economics research with Professor Blume-Kohout. His presentation, entitled “Does Instructor Gender Affect Short-Term Persistence in Gender-Dominated Introductory STEM Classes” used econometric methods to form conclusions about his topic.
This was Durham’s second year in the X-SIG program, and he expressed how useful he has found the program to be, saying, “[X-SIG] is super valuable and allows you to get hands-on experience with working on the problems you want to solve later in life.”
Durham also mentioned how beneficial it was to work so closely with a professor that could guide him in the process.
A student poses next to her X-SIG presentation on Friday, Oct. 29, 2022 (Photo Annie Bolenbaugh/The Gettysburgian).
Other students expressed similar sentiments. Ethan Clare ’25 presented at X-SIG for the first time on “Biophysical characterization of metal bonding to de novo Due Ferri proteins.”
Clare believed that the eight weeks filled with 40 hours of work per week were very worthwhile. He said, “I had a great experience with X-SIG and I really enjoyed working with my lab mates and professor.”
Clare also expressed his hope to work on X-SIG again next year.
Another chemistry student who participated in X-SIG was Cole Springer ’25. He worked with Professor Funk on his presentation “Producing High Yields of Pure Products from Iron-Catalyzed Alcohol Oxidations.”
Reflecting on the program, Springer said, “[X-SIG] was really, really cool. There were just eight weeks where we got to essentially do research that will be published in an academic journal.”
Springer also explained how the program is helpful when applying for scholarships and graduate schools. He is planning to participate in X-SIG again this summer as well.
Aston ’24 did a different type of research than other students. They worked on theoretical research for their paper entitled “Constraints on New Forces of Nature from Measurements of the Casimir Force in the Nanometer Range.”
Aston explained, “It is really hard to do theoretical research in undergrad, but Gettysburg had different options of research which I really liked. I was able to do all theoretical research which was fun, different, and interesting and it’s cool to put on my transcripts.”
The X-SIG program has given Gettysburg students opportunities for research that students see as an opportunity to further themselves in both their undergraduate and graduate experiences.
