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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Nearly 200 projects accomplished in the current academic year were put on display at Salem State University’s Research Day 2025, taking over the Harrington Campus classroom building last Friday, May 2 as a celebration of academic excellence throughout SSU.
Research Day at Salem State is a longstanding tradition—more than 25 years strong—that honors the spirit of inquiry, imagination and academic excellence across Salem State. This year’s theme, “Curiosity, Creativity and Conversation,” invited attendees to see scholarly work as a democratic process that builds community, expands understanding and deepens our shared responsibility to make meaning through connection and collaboration.
“We had 129 undergraduate posters, presentations, lightning talks, performances,” said Jess Cook, committee chair for Research Day 2025. “In the latter portion of the day, where faculty and graduate students were showing off their work, we had 64 faculty and graduate student posters, panel discussions, and presentations.”
The event saw representation from all areas of the university, including the Bertolon School of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences, the McKeown School of Education, and the Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services.
Among the undergraduate poster presentations was Zachary Ramsey, a geography senior who researched tree canopy cover change in Swampscott from 2016 to 2023. Research showed how the tree canopy has evolved over time due to human development, providing the community with insights into what it should do next: “keep planting trees,” he boasted.
Calling the completion of his research “fulfilling,” Ramsey said he enjoyed exploring geographic information systems, or GIS, because “there’s a lot of impact that can be made for other people. GIS is important for communities to invest in and understand for the betterment of everyone.”
Ashlynn Doe, a business administration senior with a concentration in human resources, focused her research on self-esteem in women working in male-dominated professional fields. The research emphasized the need for mentorship programs, increased representation in leadership positions, and the implementation of workplace policies aimed at promoting inclusivity.
But the project was also transformational for Doe, who explained that she has a tendency to be “really quiet.” In community, there is voice, she said—and with that comes self-esteem.
“Doing this research made me realize that a lot of women other than myself need mentorship, and having a community of women to support them does a lot,” Doe said. “Throughout the research, it made me realize that I’m not alone.”
