Regionals at the Rotunda brought more than 50 Indiana University students from across the state to present research and creative projects to legislators.
Students from IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend and IU Southeast presented undergraduate research to state legislators, public officials and community leaders from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb 18 at the Indiana Statehouse. Regionals at the Rotunda highlights how research at IU’s regional campuses not only prepares students for careers but also directly benefits the communities they call home, Ken Iwama, IU’s vice president for regional campuses and online education, said.
“They’re doing research that really impacts our local communities — whether it’s analyzing water quality or working with local nonprofits,” Iwama said. “It has direct, measurable impact on our regions and helps students see how their research connects to careers.”
Bringing students from regional campuses together to engage with and translate their research in a way that resonates with their State Representatives is “priceless” and showcases the “beauty of one IU,” Iwama added. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate how IU’s regional campuses “drive economic development, workforce preparation and community impact across Indiana,” according to a press release.
State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) said he was proud to have the opportunity to hear from so many current college students, as their work reflects the strength of Indiana’s higher education system and the importance of access to IU degrees across the state.
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“It just shows that our next generation is in pretty good hands,” Byrne said in a statement. “These students can earn an IU degree close to home and still make a real difference in their communities.”
Jerrica Miles, an IU Online student, is researching how small pollinator gardens can improve insect biodiversity and ecological health in rural Indiana.
“It’s absolutely amazing to present our research here at the Statehouse,” Miles said. “It’s exciting to show how small community-based projects can make a real impact.”
Miles is a senior in the sustainability program, which focuses on helping find a “more sustainable way for human populations to function.” IU Online offers Miles the flexibility of an online education through IU East while allowing her to work with professors from other campus to complete her research.
“I have two small children, and whenever I went back to school, I was a working mother as well,” Miles added. “I just kind of needed that flexibility as well to focus on my family and my education.”
Elizabeth Van Tyle-Marksbury, a senior in neuroscience and sociology at IU Southeast. Following graduation, she hopes to work as a therapist, advocating for women who have experienced trauma.
Van Tyle-Marksbury’s current research explores Indiana’s historic role in romance publishing and the genre’s ongoing cultural and economic influence in urban and smaller communities.
“For Indiana specifically, it has a rich history with the romance genre, starting in about 1880 to 1920,” Van Tyle-Marksbury said. “It was considered the golden age of publishing, and Indiana had the biggest publishing house at the time, and its number one selling genre was romance. With the advent of BookTok and Bookstagram, it has evolved with the genre and become a staple of our community, both with events, small businesses and authorships in the Hoosier state.”
Attending Regionals at the Rotunda this year and presenting research she’s passionate about to such a significant audience is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Van Tyle-Marksbury said.
For more information about Regionals at the Rotunda, visit rcoe.iu.edu/regionals-at-the-rotunda/index.html
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
