{"id":205451,"date":"2026-04-21T23:59:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/205451\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T23:59:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:59:14","slug":"queens-celebrates-2nd-annual-day-of-scholarship-and-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/205451\/","title":{"rendered":"Queens Celebrates 2nd Annual Day of Scholarship and Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Apr 21, 2026
\n By Queens University Communications\n <\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

On April 15, Queens University of Charlotte held its annual Day of Scholarship and Service, a campus-wide celebration of academic inquiry and community impact. The morning sessions transformed McEwen Hall and the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for Arts and Entertainment into a vibrant showcase of student-led discovery. Thematically organized oral presentations and poster sessions invited students, faculty, and staff to engage in a collaborative \u201clearning experience\u201d rather than a rigid competition. By the afternoon, the energy shifted to the Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation, which became a bustling volunteer hub where the campus community gathered to pack food kits for those in need.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s showcase was organized by Kira McEntire, Ph.D., the newly appointed director of undergraduate research and creative work, who viewed the event as a critical bridge between the classroom and the professional world.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch is happening everywhere on this campus, and students and faculty are doing work that is both amazing and important,\u201d McEntire shared. \u201cThe goal of this day is to move beyond the classroom and create a true learning experience in which our students find their voices and begin communicating their discoveries in new and dynamic ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"People's<\/p>\n

The morning also featured the work of Rogers Summer Institute scholars, a select group of students who receive $3,000 stipends to conduct high-level, intensive research alongside faculty mentors throughout the summer. Although not a true competition, the campus community did have the opportunity to vote for the \u201cPeople\u2019s Choice Award,\u201d selecting the projects that most resonated with the audience.<\/p>\n

Reagan Hack \u201927 earned first place for \u201cFinding our Niche: Proposing a Student-Run Gallery at Queens.\u201d Second place was awarded to Weronika Ptaszynska \u201926 for the timely exploration, \u201cCan We Trust AI? Exploring Bias and Human Reliance in Modern Applications,\u201d and Jenna Cockrell \u201927 took third place for her research into \u201cPerceived Power, Moral Identity, and Deviant Behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hack\u2019s project proposed the conversion of a space in the Gambrell Center into a permanent student-run art gallery, operated by the Queens University Arts Club (QUAC), under the department of art, design and music.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating this space establishes a professional, lasting home for student artwork inside one of the most visible cultural buildings on campus,\u201d said Hack, an interior architecture major and art history minor. \u201cI learned that strong design is as much about advocacy and listening as it is about drawing, and that defending an idea in conversations with faculty, University Advancement, facilities, and our architect of record made me a sharper and more patient designer.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Inquiry to Impact<\/p>\n

As the research sessions came to an end, the Queens community rolled up their sleeves and donned hair nets for a massive service project in support of the nonprofit Servants with a Heart (SWH).<\/p>\n

\"Rex<\/p>\n

Since 2011, SWH has been on a mission to engage families and communities in feeding the hungry, recently approaching their 32 millionth meal. While the organization often works with elementary and middle schools where participation is required, the founders noted a distinct spirit at Queens.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we truly appreciated about the event at Queens was that each person who participated chose to be there,\u201d said SWH Founder Suzanne Yoh. \u201cThe impact made by the more than 400 Queens volunteers is tangible \u2014 thousands of people will receive a meal who otherwise might not have eaten that day. We hope that students, faculty, and staff realize the good they were able to do and the impact they will have as these meals are shared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mikhaila Hadnagy \u201927, a biochemistry major, reflected on her time volunteering at the event. \u201cFood is a basic human necessity, yet so many live without knowing where their next meal will come from,\u201d said Hadnagy. \u201cIt only took a small fraction of my time to help provide that security for others\u2014an easy choice to make when the impact is so significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surpassing the Goal<\/p>\n

The university didn\u2019t just meet its ambitious target but exceeded it through a remarkable display of community effort. While the initial goal was set at 75,000 meals, the Royals rose to the challenge, ultimately completing 77,328 meals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat number is incredible to me. I didn\u2019t realize our goal was so high, and it\u2019s amazing to me that our small school could have such a big impact!\u201d added Hadnagy.<\/p>\n

The significance of this work will soon travel far beyond Charlotte. According to Yoh, these meals will be shipped overseas this May, where they will provide much-needed nutrition for those in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to be served, but to serve\u201d<\/p>\n

The Day of Scholarship and Service represents all that the Queens motto stands for. In the morning, students sought the truth through research. In the afternoon, they turned that strength outward to support global neighbors in need. The event proved that at Queens, academic research and community impact are not separate pursuits, but two halves of a singular mission: to learn deeply and serve boldly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Apr 21, 2026 By Queens University Communications On April 15, Queens University of Charlotte held its annual Day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":205452,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-205451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}