MILLIGAN, Tenn. (April 8, 2026) – Milligan University will host the 13th annual RISE Above Research Conference on Thursday, April 16, from 2 to 7 p.m.
“The RISE Above conference is a convenient and accessible way for all Milligan students to present research,” said Dr. Joy Drinnon, Milligan’s director of undergraduate research and professor of psychology. “Presenting at a conference looks good on a resume for graduate school or jobs; however, traveling to a regional or national conference is not an option for all students.”
The theme of this year’s conference is “Attention and Distraction” and will include 35 presentations based on scholarly, mentored research projects from all undergraduate disciplines and majors, as well as graduate research.
Many of the presentations will address the increasing demands on our attention, from breaking news from media networks to social media influencers. With so many avenues vying for our attention, data reveals decreased attention skills resulting in instructors modifying course readings, movies moving into new scenes 10 seconds faster and parents distracted by their phones while parenting.
While not all distractions are bad, this year’s research conference aims to highlight how our attention, or lack of it, impacts the work we do and the lives we lead.
The presentation topics include solar power, electric vehicles, AI drones and ocean plastics, music and memory, Christian self-help and Michel Foucault, and homelessness and health, among many other topics.
Now in its 13th year, Drinnon is excited to see more faculty build the research conference into their course planning at Milligan. She noted that Dr. David Campbell, professor of economics, and Kelly Griffith, area chair of computer science, have been intentional about preparing their students for the opportunity to present at the conference.
The conference will conclude with a keynote lecture titled “The Political Poe” from Dr. Michael Blouin, professor of English and humanities. The keynote lecture will be at 6 p.m. in Room 202 of Derthick Hall.
The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.