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SUNY Potsdam Students Present at 2026 SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference

Seven SUNY Potsdam Undergraduates Selected to Present Research Projects at Statewide Conference

Potsdam, NY (05/04/2026) — Seven SUNY Potsdam students were recently invited to take part in the 2026 SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference, highlighting the high-level work that they have conducted along with faculty mentors in their chosen fields.

This year's conference was held at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, and featured more than 280 students from 33 campuses. The annual conference brings together undergraduate researchers who have worked with faculty mentors on projects on topics including healthcare, environmental sustainability, and human well-being, as well as literature and the social sciences.

SUNY also hosted professional development workshops and a career fair for students to learn more about graduate study opportunities, as well as job opportunities and experiences that interest them.

"At all stages of their academic careers, our students are conducting excellent research that will have a positive impact on the lives of New Yorkers," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. "The SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference is an opportunity to display the incredible work being done by our students throughout the state, while also providing an opportunity to celebrate their stellar achievements. I commend all of our student researchers, and the faculty that support them, for their work to ensure SUNY is positioned as a national leader in research."

The SUNY Potsdam participants included:

  • Marissa Martin '27 of Saranac Lake, N.Y., who presented on her project, "Same Violence, Different Frames? Newspaper Coverage of the Killings of Melissa Hortman and Charlie Kirk." Her faculty mentor was Dr. Gemini Creason-Parker.
  • Carlee Azure '27 of Victor, N.Y., and Zayne Pavlick '26 of Fort Covington, N.Y., who presented on their project, "More Than Just a Lyric: Overt and Covert Rape Myth Language Across 50 Years of Popular Music." Their faculty mentor was also Dr. Creason-Parker.
  • Destinee Baxter '26 of Brooklyn, N.Y., who worked with Dr. Lauren Diamond-Brown on her project, "Improving Perinatal Care Experiences in St. Lawrence County"
  • Sarah Dauenhauer '26 of Malone, N.Y., Jewl Dunning '26 of Jamaica, N.Y., and Sophie Layer '26 of Winthrop, N.Y., who presented on their research project, "Effects of Inattentional Blindness and Misleading Post-Event Information on Eyewitness Memory," which they worked on with Dr. Heather Beauchamp.

Destinee Baxter had the special opportunity to present her research to Chancellor King directly, as he attended the conference. The Chancellor remembered meeting the biochemistry major during his recent visit to SUNY Potsdam and asked her and Dr. Diamond-Brown to tell them more about their project.

SUNY Potsdam's participation in the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference is coordinated by the Donald and Kathryn Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, located in the Lougheed Learning Commons. The center supports mentored student research through programs such as Presidential Scholars, the Kilmer Fund and Kilmer Labs, among others. To find out more about the center's support for student research and creative projects, visit www.potsdam.edu/appliedlearning.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

A student and professor in professional attire stand next to a research poster summarizing their work at a conference.

SUNY Potsdam student Destinee Baxter ’26 (left) presents on her project, “Improving Perinatal Care Experiences in St. Lawrence County,” along with faculty mentor Dr. Lauren Diamond-Brown, at the 2026 SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference.

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