Lindsey Wilson University Honors Students Present Research at Statewide Conference
LWU trio take their work 'above and beyond' at Kentucky Honors Roundtable Conference.
COLUMBIA, Ky. (10/01/2025) — A trio of Lindsey Wilson University honors students took their research "above and beyond" at a recent statewide conference.
The three Lindsey Wilson honors students presented research at the fall meeting of the Kentucky Honors Roundtable Conference, which was held Sept. 20 at Murray State University.
The three Lindsey Wilson students who presented research at the conference were Morgan Bryant '26 of Shelbyville, Kentucky; Emma Couch '27 of London, Kentucky; and Zachary Hite '27 of Hodgenville, Kentucky. All three are members of the university's R.V. Bennett Honors Program.
"I am so proud of our students. They really showed a commitment to taking their research above and beyond," said Lindsey Wilson psychology professor Jordan Greenburg, who is also assistant director of the R.V. Bennett Honors Program.
Greenburg said that one of the advantages of attending Kentucky Honors Roundtable events is that it gives Lindsey Wilson students an opportunity to present their research to new audiences and explore topics outside of their field of study.
At the Murray State gathering, Greenburg said that "our students had many opportunities to connect with honors students outside of Lindsey Wilson -- I think it really encouraged them to get outside of their comfort zone and make those connections, which is so valuable."
Bryant, who is an English and history double major, presented "Sex Dolls, Masculinity, and Society: A Negotiated Reading of Lars and the Real Girl," which explored the 2007 film Lars and the Real Girl to show where it succeeds from a feminist perspective and where it fails.
Couch, who is a psychology and Spanish double major, presented "The Harm of Single Stories and How to Fight Them with World Literature," which aimed to lift up the voices of the oppressed in world literature, which, as Couch noted, has historically been written in the voice of the oppressor.
Hite, who is a mathematics secondary education major, presented "Where Would All the Water Go?," which explored what would happen if evapotranspiration -- the process that moves water from Earth's surface into the atmosphere -- decreased by 20%.
"One of my favorite moments from the event was seeing Zach in the Q&A session with the other presenter in his session," said Greenburg. "The topics were very different -- physics and ants -- but they had a great conversation with each other and the audience about how to make scientific research accessible to the broader community."
Greenburg said that following the conference, Bryant shared with her that the question-and-answer sessions were her favorite part of the conference. Greenburg said that is a testament to how well-prepared Lindsey Wilson's honors students are for these academic gatherings.
"I think (Q&A) can be really daunting for students, but because Morgan has had so much experience presenting at the Lindsey Wilson honors symposium and has excellent research skills, she knows how to handle difficult questions," said Greenburg. "All of our students handled difficult questions like pros, and they really got to shine in this environment."
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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Lindsey Wilson University honors students, from left, Morgan Bryant ’26 of Shelbyville, Kentucky, Emma Couch ’27 of London, Kentucky, and Zachary Hite ’27 of Hodgenville, Kentucky, presented research at the fall meeting of the Kentucky Honors Roundtable Conference, which was held Sept. 20 at Murray State University.
