North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) held the second annual Omnium Conference on Wednesday, March 25 at the Gateway Technology Center on campus. The event spotlighted undergraduate research and celebrated scholarly achievement across disciplines.
What is The Omnium Conference?
The Omnium Conference is a formal presentation of student research papers in affiliation with Omnium: The Undergraduate Research Journal at NCWU. Omniumis a Latin word meaning “everything”, and the journal provides students with the opportunity to explore major genres of academic writing, join in scholarly conversations, share their ideas, perform original research, and see their work published in a professional venue. Now in its eighth year, Omnium was established in 2019 by Dr. Doreen Thierauf, Associate Professor of English and General Education Program Coordinator. Dr. Thierauf serves as the journal’s editor and as conference co-organizer, joined by Dr. Shane Thompson, Associate Professor of Bible and the Ancient Near East and Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.
“Omnium provides a professional platform for students to engage in original research, participate in academic dialogue, and see their work published,” said Dr. Thierauf. “It also serves as a teaching tool for faculty at NCWU and other institutions, with articles reflecting the academic growth of students at every stage of their college careers from first-year composition essays to projects created in senior seminars and honors theses”.
2026 Conference Details
The 2026 conference featured six student presentations, organized into two thematic sessions followed by interactive panel discussions:
- Session 1: Writing, Filming, and Buying Identity
- Alastair Cannon (NC State U): “Disproving the Myth of Simplicity in Anatolian Hieroglyphs”
- Shafiq Nuijts: “Wan Pipel: Identity, Tolerance, and Coexistence in Suriname”
- Session 2: Healing Our Communities
- Niana Gunther: “Lessons Learned from Unexpected Results: Investigating Herbal Remedies and Probiotic Growth”
- Kayla Collins: “Stress, Sleep, and Mental Wellbeing among NCWU Students”
- Maya Dari: “Building Resilience: One Jenga Block at a Time”
- Maria Gabriela Salazar: “Factors Influencing the Development of Cultural Competence in Nurses”
This year’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Lee Templeton, Professor of English and Chair of the School of Humanities. His presentation was titled “The Dragons of Higher Education.”
The 2026 conference marked an ongoing collaboration between Dr. Thierauf and Dr. Shane Thompson. Together, they aim to expand Omnium’s mission to highlight the exceptional work being produced by NCWU undergraduates across all disciplines. The organizers were thrilled to feature a student from North Carolina State University, Alastair Cannon, in the conference lineup and hope to attract more students from regional campuses to the conference in the years to come.
Photos from this event can be viewed: Omnium Research Conference 03/25/26 – ncwesleyan
