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Henry Agyemang ’24 Creates Out-of-This-World App for Greensboro Science Center

What if museum visitors could travel through space on their smartphones?

With that challenge, Henry Agyemang ’24 developed an interactive, augmented reality app to enhance a new solar system exhibit at the Greensboro Science Center. Under the mentorship of Pratheep Paranthaman, assistant professor of computer science and coordinator of the Game Design Minor, Henry’s SolAR app accompanies visitors of the museum’s Solar Hike, displaying planets, moons and satellites as they walk through a model of the solar system.

An engineering major with computer science concentration, Henry embarked on the project after courses in the Game Design minor kindled a passion for augmented and mixed reality technologies. Initiated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, he perfected and presented it in fall 2023. Henry plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer engineering with a focus on augmented and virtual reality.

Alumni Share Wisdom, Connect with Students

When our talented alumni bring their wisdom into the College’s programs, their knowledge and experiences enrich learning, strengthen outcomes and guide students as they begin their careers. Throughout the year, alumni returned to College programs for classes, guest lectures and panel discussions, offering insights and connecting students to opportunities.

• Ginna Claire Mason ’13 — who debuted on Broadway as “Glinda” in the musical “Wicked” and delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2024 — led a masterclass for Music Theatre students in April. Mason shared her professional experience and offered feedback to students on their individual performances.

• Jacqueline Alnes ’13 and Natalie Lampert ’11 each published their first books in 2024. Last spring, they met with aspiring writers in the Department of English to discuss their writing and publishing careers and read from their works.

• The Department of Human Service Studies hosted its second annual “Voices from the Field” panel in the spring. Six alumni gave advice about careers in education, social work, law enforcement and entrepreneurship. They emphasized the ways they draw on the skills gained in human service studies courses to strengthen their communities.

• Alumni from the Department of Music and the Department of Performing Arts met with students in the Elon in L.A. program to underscore the importance of building and maintaining professional networks that begin in college.

• The Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry hosted alumni panels during Homecoming Weekend. Students heard from scientists and medical professionals how to navigate their majors, the value of undergraduate research in preparing for future careers, and insights into the graduate and medical school application process.

Partnerships Transform Students and Community

Community-based learning is central to many College programs, giving students real-world experience by working with organizations and stakeholders. These collaborations enrich courses, hone students’ skills and introduces them to networks they can engage with beyond Elon.

• The Elon Explorers summer program brought 22 middle schoolers in the Alamance-Burlington School System to campus to delve into the natural sciences. Associate Professor of Biology Jen Hamel and Associate Professor of Education Mark Enfield led students on hunts for insects and invertebrates on campus and at surrounding parks to engage young minds in STEM fields.

• Seniors in the Arts Administration Program honed their promotional and public relations skills by coordinating the Greater Greensboro Theatre Consortium’s second Amplify Black Voices Festival. The festival stages new works by young Black playwrights for Triad audiences at the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro. Elon is one of six colleges and universities in the consortium.

• Students in the Department of Human Service Studies and Honors Fellows Program interviewed local faith leaders in Alamance County’s underrepresented communities and preserved their oral histories in short films for the Power and Place Collaborative. In addition to Elon’s programs, the collaborative includes the county’s African-American Cultural Arts and History Center, Burlington’s Mayco Bigelow Community Center and the Burlington Masjid. Students shared the films at the Stories of Alamance County: Spaces of Faith and Spiritual Diversity event in December, centering ways spiritual life can bridge differences and transform communities.

• The Department of Exercise Science and Department of Performing Arts and the School of Health Sciences’ Physical Therapy Program brought National Biomechanics Day to students in the Alamance-Burlington School System’s Career and Technical Education Center. Elon students and faculty led hands-on activities for high school students interested in health sciences, that included measurements of vertical jumping, strength, motor control, manual dexterity, gait and balance.

• Seniors in the Statistics Program’s practicum collaborated with LabCorp to analyze data in the medical testing company’s aviation department. Mentored by Associate Professor of Statistics Mark Weaver, the students used software to create a more efficient, structured and automatic approach to generating reports for the company, which is headquartered in Burlington.

• Engineering majors in the environmental engineering concentration partnered with the City of Graham Recreation and Parks to alleviate flooding at South Graham Municipal Park, a popular destination for area families. Five students in the yearlong Senior Projects in Elon Engineering Design course designed and installed a swale stocked with native plants to capture runoff, as well as a new curb system to divert rising waters into it.