Students, faculty of education and researchers from around the Cape Fear region all gathered at the Randolph Student Jones Center at Fayetteville State University to look, listen and learn about the latest developments in area research. 

The Annual Cape Fear Research Symposium brought students and faculty from major educational institutions Campbell University, Fayetteville State University, and Methodist University; and researchers and residents from major medical providers First Health of the Carolinas, Womack Army Medical Center and Cape Fear Valley Health under one roof to present their latest findings in their fields of study.

The Symposium is held by the Cape Fear Research Consortium, an initiative focused on bringing collaborative research to the Fayetteville area. 

Director of Research at Womack Army Medical Center and Consortium Director Y. Sammy Choi, M.D said he was glad to see the event return for the first time since 2020, and is looking forward to expanding the event in the future to potentially help social economic progress, create jobs and inspire innovation in business. 

“We were just on the cusp of getting to the next level and then COVID hit. So that's our hope that we bring this back up, resurrect it. It was dead for three years,” shared Choi. “Increased scholarly pursuits have helped the socioeconomic standing of the region, but also, what happens if we start recruiting the best students because they hear about what we're doing?”

Researchers can present their projects through two primary ways:  Podium Presentations and Poster Presentations. The categories include original research, process improvement and case reports. 

According to Prime Coordinator for the event and Senior Scientist for the Department of Clinical Investigation Jess White-Phillip, PhD the event is looking to expand student entries across the categories for next year’s Symposium. 

“We had almost 88 submissions, which I think was the final total for [the] three categories. We did have a goodly number of faculty and staff that also submitted to present.” shared White- Phillip. “We're so focused on the students. We didn't have that many student presentations. We're really focused on that, we do hope to expand that next year. Our case reports were really a big category. So we have I think about 24-25 case reports that are all being presented by our medical students and residents at Womack, Cape Fear  and of course, the Campbell University medical students.” 

The Symposium serves not only as a platform to share ideas, but also introduces a competitive side based on the type of project. For podium presentations, speakers are given a ten minute window to present their projects, and are then open to five minutes to questions and answers. This allows judges and attendees to ask about things like practical applications of the presenters research and how it can be applied in or measured against industry scenarios. 

With research ranging from neuromusculoskeletal Injury Incidence in  U.S. Paratroopers to Touch DNA typing from unfired bullet cases, the research is not limited to a specific theme, but could have a number of implications across a number of industries. 

Director of the Fort Bragg Research Institute Steve DeLellis shared that events like these help keep the FBRI and The Geneva Foundation up to date on the latest research developments in the area. 

“It keeps us relevant in the community. We learn as much from these events as we present. So while we may have sponsored a third or a half or however many of the folks that have provided presentations today, we're learning as much from the others that we haven't supported and the work that's being done out there and the work that needs to be done,” shared DeLellis. “I think this is huge. Not just for Fayetteville, but also for the other academic institutions in Fayetteville. Fayetteville State University specifically, has been growing at a rapid pace over the last couple of decades. They've had some incredible leaders in the research arena and Fayetteville State University is really kind of an unrecognized gem in our community for the amount of research they do, which is a phenomenal opportunity for college kids.” 

Organizers shared this year had a great turnout for submission and attendees, and are looking forward to growing the event. 

“Really every project is the effort of a research team. Every project is the collaboration of a number of people and I'm just hoping that there are more people in the community that will learn about this and want to help support our learners or students and be supportive of those that are going through education and training programs because really, that's our future,” shared White-Phillip. “This is the future of our healthcare system, in this room. The doctors that are going to be treating us, and Fayetteville, for the next generation. So we'd like them to have a good background in lifelong learning and scholarly inquiry. And that's why we're here today.”