{"id":25690,"date":"2025-10-30T16:08:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T20:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=25690"},"modified":"2025-11-05T12:53:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T17:53:39","slug":"students-showcase-their-work-at-clarkfest","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/30\/students-showcase-their-work-at-clarkfest\/","title":{"rendered":"Students showcase their work at ClarkFEST"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The use of AI in the creation of art. Can you tell the difference, and why does it matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of vegetation grows in a former cranberry bog, and what does it contribute to the landscape?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does the heavily invasive golden oyster mushroom have a beef with other fungal species, or does it just seem that way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does the Clark student who studied the shapes of various lizard skulls and jaws know the student who won an award for their poem \u201cAn Epitaph for the Last Great Jawbone\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were questions that compelled plenty of lively discussions at the Fall 2025 edition of ClarkFEST, held Oct. 29. The event showcased student research and creative projects through poster exhibitions in Tilton Hall, interactive media displays inside the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design, and presentations detailing student projects and political science internships at the Higgins University Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Throughout the day, students presented on countless topics representing Clark\u2019s many disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u2018golden\u2019 opportunity in biology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Carter Peterson \u201926, a biology major and a Penn Family Research Fellow, displayed a poster describing the golden oyster mushroom\u2019s impact on other fungi, which it \u201coutcompetes\u201d for terrain. The poster had earned Peterson the prize for Best Undergraduate Poster at the Mycological Society of America conference held this past summer in Madison, Wisc. Golden oysters are combative in the wild, and popular in the kitchen. \u201cUnfortunately,\u201d Peterson said with a laugh, \u201cthey\u2019re very tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ClarkFEST<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of monkeys and feral cats in Puerto Rico<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Several students studied animals in Puerto Rico. Lauren Bostwick \u201926, the recipient of a Steinbrecher Fellowship, tracked feral cats in San Juan by developing a tool that allows the community to keep track of their condition and arrange for their care. Sofia Moncayo Caama\u00f1o investigated the use of melatonin to treat self-injurious behavior in a Rhesus macaque (monkey).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The psychology of AI and art<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Psychology major Xiaoai Rachel Lin \u201925 constructed a study of different perceptions surrounding the use of AI in the creation of art. And within the realm of decidedly human-created art, the winners of poetry, short story, and essay writing competitions were prominently displayed at ClarkFest. (The \u201cLast Great Jawbone\u201d is by Reuben Glassenberg \u201926).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The uses of chemistry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For over a year, Avery Schwartz \u201926 conducted polymer science research in the lab of Professor Julio D\u2019Arcy, the Carl J. and Anna Carlson Endowed Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Polymers are complex, chemically bonded chains of large molecules used to produce materials for a wide range of applications, from energy storage devices to atmospheric water collection. Schwartz\u2019s research poster describes the chemical reaction that occurs when nanotube structures, which can absorb and hold atmospheric water, are formed during the \u201cvapor phase\u201d of polymerization. In D\u2019Arcy\u2019s lab, which is supported by his National Science Foundation CAREER grant, \u201cwe\u2019re doing chemistry, but we also get the chance to do reactor engineering,\u201d she says. Schwartz\u2019s research has been supported by an Edwin A. Weiller Summer Science Fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n