Community invited to SUU Festival of Excellence
By Haven Scott
Join Southern Utah University students, staff, and faculty as they showcase research, projects, and ideas at the annual SUU Festival of Excellence April 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place at multiple locations throughout the university and is free and open to all community members.
Open to all community members, the Festival of Excellence is a chance to learn firsthand about SUU and the work the university engages in and to join in on conversations within the academic world.
“The Festival of Excellence represents our university’s inquisitive spirit. It is a place for students, faculty, staff, and the community to come together, share knowledge, tell stories, and engage our curiosity,” said Scott Knowles, director of the Festival of Excellence. “What I love about the festival is the ability to come and learn about almost any topic you could imagine, from engineering to business leadership to dance, theater, and music.”
With over 400 presentations happening during the festival, here are a few previews from both students and professors:
Dr. Krystal McCoy, assistant professor of music at SUU, will share her research project titled “Music Acquisition in the Womb.” This study focused specifically on the human voice and song from 26 weeks gestational age to 12 weeks of infancy. Findings from this research indicated that the fostering of musical development could begin prior to birth.
In one of the many art presentations, Dr. James Aton, professor of English at SUU, will showcase a project called “Painting ‘My Odyssey’: Jimmie Jones at the Grand Canyon.”
SUU students Billy Clouse and Brinn Fullmer will present community projects they worked on during their senior year. During their branding class, Clouse and three other graphic design students worked with the owner of Pisco Peruvian Cuisine to make the restaurant’s brand identity match its high-quality food. The process included creating four unique visual identities, conducting a photo shoot of nine dishes, designing new menus, updating the interior and exterior signage, and building a contemporary website. Fullmer teamed up with the American Red Cross for her senior capstone project, working closely with community volunteers to make a difference in the lives of others, something she wants to do after graduation.
A complete schedule of all projects, presentations, and research can be found online at suu.edu/excellence.
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