Eva Beals ’28 spent five nerve-jangling minutes on stage sharing her sketches and the inspiration behind them. The attentive audience saw digital images of Beals’ work, titled The Connections We Keep, projected on a screen inside the Eisner Center for the Performing Arts.
Beals doesn’t consider herself “a great presenter,” but the work she created this summer, with the assistance of Visual Arts Professor Ron Abram, spoke for themselves. Her 12 prints told stories of relationships and community.
“I wanted this series to explore human relationships in all forms: familial, platonic, romantic, and ambiguous,” Beals said. “Through these prints, I wanted to carve the joyous, the bittersweet, the intimate, and the quiet moments that define our lives.”
Beals is one of more than 130 Denison students who participated in the 2025 Summer Scholars program. They presented their research and creations to fellow students and faculty during two on-campus showcases in September. The symposiums afford them a chance to highlight projects, produced in labs and studios during the still of summer, to their appreciative audiences.
Students from the fields of humanities, sciences, and social sciences showcased their research Sept. 11 in the Mitchell Center. Fine arts and creative writing were featured in the Sept. 18 event in the Burke Recital Hall inside the Eisner Center.
“I was nervous giving my presentation, but this is such a great program,” Beals said. “I really enjoyed seeing what everyone else had created.”
Outside the recital hall, a large display listed the names of generous donors who provide the funding for the students’ summer stipends and housing. In some cases, the students’ work helps in their professors’ ongoing research.
Jonathan Westfall ’27 with his Summer Scholars research in the Mitchell Center fieldhouse, Thursday, Sept. 11.
Jonathan Westfall ’27, a chemistry major, spent 10 weeks exploring alternatives to 3D printing that don’t involve polymer plastics. He was one of four students working independently on the project for Professor Joe Reczek of the chemistry and biochemistry department.
The Mitchell Center fieldhouse resembled a bazaar of higher learning as students were stationed in front of their research posters, educating visitors about their summer work.
“I had a lot of traffic,” Westfall said. “I stood there for like an hour as people came up and asked questions. I found myself explaining the work on different levels depending on how much people understood about the project.”
Westfall and Beals appreciated the support they received. Westfall, a member of the track and field team, had visits from coaches and teammates.
Among the perks of Summer Scholars is getting to know students outside their normal friend groups. Beals roomed with three students not involved in fine arts projects. She attended their Sept. 11 symposium to show her support.
Beals also is grateful for the mentorship of Abram, who met with her twice a week to make sure her project, which involved carving sketches into linoleum sheets before placing them in a printing press, remained on track.
“He gave me inspiration and ideas for the more conceptual side of my work,” Beals said. “This was a very personal project and Ron was great in helping me create it.”