Zachary Szymkowicz Presents Research at Undergraduate Symposium

2016 May 3

Zachary Szymkowicz presented his research project "Christian Patriotism: The Civil War Through the Lens of Christian Sermons" at Assumption College's 22nd Annual Undergraduate Symposium, held April 18-19 on the College's Worcester Campus. Szymkowicz's project explored the Civil War through the lens of three different Protestant sermons, all delivered in the North between 1861 and 1863. These sermons reveal what some Northern ministers perceived God's role in the war to be. They also offered guidance on what the role of the Christian patriot should be in such trying times.

The undergraduate symposium highlights the research and scholarly achievements of Assumption students, working in collaboration with dedicated faculty mentors. These collaborations represent a model for integrating teaching, original research, and peer review in promoting intellectual development and professional growth. The symposium provides the campus community with the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of, and applaud, the individual and collective accomplishments of the College's faculty and students.

"The Symposium is, for me, an occasion of great pride-pride in our students, of course, but also in our faculty who generously donate their time, attention, and expertise to ensure the intellectual development of their students," said Louise Carroll Keeley, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Assumption College. "It has become one of my favorite parts of the semester."