Making a discovery is always a reason to celebrate.
Now in its 14th year, Research and Engagement Day (REDay) — a day-long symposium that shines a spotlight on the scholarship, creativity, and innovation that defines Bryant University — offers the campus community the chance to learn from, and with, one another in a festive and supportive atmosphere.
Bryant students, faculty, and staff were joined by industry thought leaders and community partners who lent their expertise to the day; the symposium featured a range of presentations, demonstrations, discussions, interactive workshops, and opportunities for creative expression.
“What makes REDay so impactful is the way it brings our community together around learning, discovery, and engagement,” noted Associate Provost Wendy Samter, Ph.D., head of Bryant’s REDay committee. “Faculty mentorship, student curiosity, and cross-disciplinary collaboration are all on display, showcasing the very best of the Bryant experience.”
REDay 2026 also welcomed nearly 130 students from four local high schools — Blackstone Valley Prep, Times 2 Academy, Central Falls High School, and Cranston High School East — to share in the day through the Belonging Institute.
Here are a few scenes from REDay 2026:
Seizing the moment
The spirit of REDay was an ideal fit for the age we live in, noted keynote speaker Justin "Mr. Fascinate" Shaifer, an award-winning STEM thought leader and educator. The world around us today, he marveled, is one of wonder and full of innovations previously inconceivable, from AI-powered drug discoveries that could revolutionize medicine to DolphinGemma, a large language model that uses dolphin audio to help scientists study how they communicate and find out what they're saying.
While those advances might seem fantastical, they are not out of reach, Shafir told his audience. The future, he added, belongs to those with vision, grit, and an entrepreneurial spirit. With the tools at our disposal, including AI-powered coding assistants that make turning ideas into reality easier than ever, “You can build your own applications to solve your own problems,” he stated.
Analytic assists
Bryant’s Sports Analytics Club President Benjamin Schubbe ’26 and Treasurer Johnny Scaramuzzo ’28 detailed their success in using data to give Bulldog sports a competitive edge. For example, an analysis presented to Bryant basketball coaches regarding the strengths and weaknesses of a guard on a competing team was validated when the player was held scoreless in the next game.
“We’re very passionate fans of Bryant sports, so when we have insights we can see in the box score, the club gets pretty excited,” said Schubbe.
Laced up and ready to run
The brisk, 40-degree weather didn’t stop students from lacing their running shoes early Wednesday morning and going for a 12-minute run on Bryant’s track to measure their cardiovascular fitness and estimate their VO2 max. The outdoor field day also featured a 40-yard dash that tested top-end speed as well as several agility and cognitive tests, which measured quickness, coordination, and reaction time. In addition to the outdoor activities, students got a hands-on look at the university's Exercise and Movement Science Lab where they performed jump, strength, and flexibility tests to measure lower body power, grip strength, and range of motion.
Cracking the code to a brighter future
Collision avoidance systems for satellites and decision engines designed to assist fishermen with making the perfect catch were just a few of the of the applications Bryant students created at the second annual AI Hack-a-thon, organized by the university and Bryant CEO in collaboration with Claude Arnell Milhouse, co-founder and CEO of Yconic. From brainstorming creative ideas to developing practical solutions to both every day and global problems using leading AI tools, it was a chance for the competitors to build the world they wanted to see around them — with $3,000 in prize money at stake.
Use the (political) Force
Political insights can be gleaned from examining lawmakers’ voting patterns, the president’s evolving relationship with the public, and how local community issues reflect national politics. They also can come from a galaxy far, far away. The “From Galaxies to Gloucester: Power Across Political Worlds” REDay session, presented by students of Political Science Assistant Professor Tristan Hightower, Ph.D., included Connor Patterson ’25, who offered lessons about collective action drawn from “Star Wars: Andor.”
A land of imagination
A day-long tape art creation session saw a Unistructure wall transform into a sprawling mural where idyllic animals and fairytale characters mingled with mysterious portals and fearsome robots. Students designed their own magical world in a familiar space with guidance from renowned artists Michael Townshend and Leah Smith and History, Literature, and the Arts Professor Martha Kuhlman, Ph.D.
Finance major Zenon Kolcio ’27, who’d never done tape art before, shared that it was a great chance to express his creativity and work with others to shape their collective masterpiece.
Expanding knowledge, doing well(s)
During the “From Cells to Communities: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Solving Global Challenges” session, Biology major Jacqui Fox ’27 detailed her experiments on Hydra vulgaris, a small freshwater animal that can regenerate any of its body parts, making it an intriguing subject of stem cell research. Augustine Boadi ’26, co-founder of Sankofa Vision, spoke about the group’s work digging water wells in Ghana: the initiative has already delivered clean water to more than 2,000 people. “It’s not a charity, but a partnership with the local community,” he said.
Movie time
Time travel is a common trope in moviemaking, and many films base their use of time on real scientific theory, said Brian Blais, Ph.D., a Biological and Biomedical Sciences professor. Fortified with popcorn and candy, Blais and students engaged in lively discussion where they explored concepts like time loops and Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Participants cited examples of films where the use of time travel was successful (Back to the Future) and when it undermined the plot (Superman: The Movie).
“There’s good physical reasons to think that time travel can’t happen, but it can be useful for storytelling,” Blais said.
Addressing gaps in care
Julia Kaplan ’30PsyD, a member of Bryant’s inaugural Doctor of Clinical Psychology cohort, shared her desire to study how people understand their symptoms and whether they seek mental healthcare when they have both autoimmune diseases and mental health conditions. Other students in Roselyn Peterson Ph.D.’s “Research Methods in Psychology: Doctor of Clinical Psychology” course discussed their interest in studying non-traditional and innovative technologies; considering how society influences different outcomes in school, social, and justice system settings; looking at the impact of adverse experiences on youth development; and investigating varying relationships and perceptions of behaviors and mental health functioning.