Lakeland University’s Undergraduate Research Symposium will take place on April 15. This event will start with a convocation event at 9:30 a.m. at Lakeland’s Bradley Theatre, where faculty will present on their research. Then, at various campus buildings, students from all disciplines will create panels and presentations to showcase their research. Two of the panels involve Seems Literary Magazine and the WiLead project.   

What are Seems and WiLead? Jodie Mortag, associate professor of writing, is involved with facilitating both projects and explained what makes them unique. Mortag is the owner and editor of the Seems Literary Magazine published here at Lakeland. Seems is a collection of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction stories created by authors around the country.   

Instead of creating stories to put into Seems, the students are the ones deciding which stories get added. In an interview, Mortag described what the general process of the student’s role in Seems is. “We talk about poems and pieces that would be a good fit, some maybe that we still have some concerns about,” Mortag explained.   

Sarah Stege, a senior at Lakeland, is one of the students that works on Seems. She explained what makes Seems unique. “Seems is an irregular publication, so we publish an issue when we have enough pieces, and the collection feels complete. This usually takes a few years. We printed Seems 55 just before Christmas 2025.” 

To Stege, Seems is a collection of stories that turn into a beautiful collage of art. “Being part of the team that put Seems 55 together was a phenomenal experience. I loved seeing the magazine take on its own personality as we collected pieces of writing.”  

Compared to Seems, WiLead is a more traditional research project at first glance. However, the project has its own unique story and goal that the students in the Seminar III class are working towards. Alexis Piper, associate professor of composition, who teaches Seminar III: Misinformation and Disinformation is working with Mortag’s Seminar III: Environment and Consumption class on the project.   

WiLead is a program created by the organization Root Change. The focus is on depolarizing the conversation surrounding the environment through activism and group connection. The group is connected with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The spring of 2026 semester is the first semester WiLead expanded to Lakeland University.  

The students of WiLead are of different discipline backgrounds. Some students are accounting majors, education majors and communication majors. They all fall under the same goal, which Piper calls a benefit to the project. “You might have somebody who has a lot of knowledge in criminal justice or communications, but it takes those different majors to address some of the biggest issues that we are facing today.” 

One of the groups in WiLead is focusing on controlling the deer population on Lakeland’s main campus. However, the group learned during the project to shift their perspectives and pivot to a new perspective. Now, they plan to plant flora that deer do not eat. This is to improve the local ecosystem on campus while not controlling the deer. 

 Lakeland University’s Undergraduate Research Symposium is the time for students to show off their hard work to their peers. It’s a time for the roles of the average class to be flipped. The students get to act as the experts to explain their research to the faculty and students at Lakeland.   

While Seems and WiLead are two different projects, they both have a place at Undergraduate Research Symposium. They are just two of the many disciplines that will have panels and presentations on April 15, showcasing and celebrating the hard work of Lakeland’s many students. “That’s the way to think about it. Yea! We’ve been working on this, it’s cool, it’s important. Let me show it to you,.” Piper exclaimed about the enthusiasm students show about their work. 

Full Schedule

For a complete description of events, see the attachment on the recent Lakeland Today post.

9:30-10:30 a.m. | Faculty Keynote Sessions | Bradley Theatre | Convo Event

Opening Remarks

Joshua Kutney, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Aimee Burns-Boisvert, Assistant Professor of Communication

“Talking Underwater: A Memoir of Fish and Females”

Jodie Mortag, Associate Professor of Writing

“Smart Insights, Stronger Performance: Leveraging Business Intelligence & Dynamic Capabilities”

Omid Tajeddini, Assistant Professor of Business and Communication

“You Can’t Win, So Win: A Lecture and an Inquiry”

April Arvan, Professor of Sport Management and Communication

“Protein Aggregation in Yeast Cells”

Greg Smith, Professor of Biology

10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | Morning Sessions

Session 1A: Explorations in Historical and Religious Traditions | Laun 109

Session 1B: Honors Senior Projects and Directed Readings I | Chase 009

Session 1C: Creative Writing Readings | Laun 228

Session 1D: First Year Writing and Hospitality/Marketing | Chase 105

12:15-1:15 p.m. | Break for Lunch

1:30-3 p.m. | Afternoon Sessions

Session 2A: Research Poster Session | Laun 209

Session 2B: Seminar III and WiLead Community Action Lab | Chase 100

Session 2C: Zines Session | Laun 210

Session 2D: Honors Seminar Projects and Directed Readings II | Laun 109