NW Valley Times

On April 1, 2025, Grand Canyon University held its Canyon Undergraduate Research Symposium, part of the larger Canyon Undergraduate Research Conference organized by the Honors College. The event featured a variety of student research presentations that captivated audiences. More than 230 students participated, representing the Canyon Emerging Scholars, the Honors College, and the Canyon Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Honors College Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli commented on the significance of the event: “There are posters on display from all different colleges, including the new and expanded Canyon Emerging Scholars, and for the first time ever, high school students.” She acknowledged the growth of undergraduate research opportunities at the university.

One of the featured presentations was by Senior Benjamin Carter, who discussed his project “StarfishOS: A Decentralized and Distributed Operating System.” Carter demonstrated website and internet tracking through a self-made web server. Highlighting the disadvantages of central servers, Carter proposed a decentralized system where individual devices contain their own servers, enhancing reliability, security, and speed.

Carter's presentation illustrated the potential cost savings for businesses by eliminating the need for expensive central server hosting. He stated, “Creating some sort of distributed operating system like this does not currently exist today. I thought this would revolutionize and make it easier for churches, small profits, nonprofits, small and big companies, to market their products with a lower cost.”

Another key presentation was "The Essence of Meaning" by Zachary Johnson, who focused on self-discovery and life's purpose. Johnson emphasized the importance of finding meaning in life through his concept of "The Meaning Diamond." He explained, “The greatest task for any person is to find the meaning of their life.”

The symposium also featured other presentations such as “Optimizing Growth Conditions of Cyanobacteria for Hydrogen Production” by Jessica Doan and Emily Garcia, “VSiD (Very Small image Detection)” by Joshua Nelson and his group, and “Self-Efficacy and the Lopes Academy” by Piper Necaise, Colin O’Reilly, and Sedina Hayes.

University President Brian Mueller praised the students, saying, “I am always amazed at their level of communication and the ability to articulate thoughts to an audience like this, in a highly professional and impactful way.”

During the event, students were able to present to the university’s executive leadership and President Brian Mueller. This opportunity enabled them to share their research and innovations with a wider audience.

For further details, GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be contacted at [email protected]