This May, students had the chance to present their research at the annual Walla Walla University Academic Excellence Symposium. The symposium took place on May 29 in the Winter Educational Complex and featured 25 student presenters across seven disciplines.
The Academic Excellence Symposium was revived two years ago by Linda Ivy, professor of psychology, after a short hiatus. Her goal for the event was to "highlight excellence in thought at WWU through the presentation of scholarship.”
The day began with refreshments and a research poster fair, where attendees could peruse the students’ work and ask them questions. This was followed by keynote speaker Melodie Williams’ address.
Williams’ talk was one of the highlights of the event. Her lecture, “My Long and Winding Road," reminisced on her 13-year path to a doctoral degree. She emphasized the circuitous route that research frequently takes and reminded listeners that often the most important findings appear unlooked for.
After that, those who chose not to do posters had the chance to present their findings across four break-out sessions.
A social work student remarked that, “My favorite part of the event was the variety of topics and majors that were represented. I learned about stuff outside of my major, and it was great to see all the good that comes from WWU.”
To learn more about this year’s presenters, visit Academic Excellence Symposium.
Posted June 17, 2026.
