The annual Innovation, Inquiry & Creativity Symposium returned to Brenau University this April during the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.
“The annual symposium is the pinnacle of scholarly pursuits completed by both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as several of our esteemed faculty,” Didi Cassell, executive director of academic initiatives and student success, said. “Presentations span disciplines including fine arts and humanities, education, health and science, and business and communication.”
The symposium took place on Friday, April 13, at the Brenau Downtown Campus. This year, the keynote speaker and special guest was Will Hinton, a faculty emeritus at Louisburg College.
All presentations took place both in person and via Zoom.
The Innovation, Inquiry and Creativity Symposium was renamed in 2023 from the Brenau University Research Symposium to align the event with research that is undertaken at Brenau, including the emphasis of the creative arts, expand participation and to embrace research that focuses on innovation and scholarly inquiry.
“The 2024 Symposium marks the second year that the event expanded the definition of research to include Innovation, Inquiry, and Creativity to better reflect the range and diversity of scholarly work that is conducted within the many disciplines represented at Brenau,” Billi Bromer, education professor and committee member, said.
Brenau President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., also reflected on the new focus of the symposium in closing remarks for the event.
“These themes also are reflective of Brenau’s mission to provide our students a curriculum enriched by liberal arts, scientific inquiry and global awareness,” Barnett said. “Today, we have seen the embodiment of those themes through posters and presentations across disciplines that reflect a broad array of the pursuit of knowledge beyond a narrow framework as we seek to both understand our world and meet its changing needs.”
This was the first year the symposium took place during Alumni Reunion Weekend, and alumni were encouraged to explore what academic pursuits students, faculty and staff were involved in at Brenau.
