JC students join in Texas Undergraduate Research Day

May 01, 2019
Courtesy photo
Jacksonville College students, pictured in no particular order, Thomas Ghiringhelli, Hunter Gates, Seth Hellwig, Syvoney Ybarra, and Mackenzie Nelson all participated in last month’s Texas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Austin. Courtesy photo
Jacksonville College students, pictured in no particular order, Thomas Ghiringhelli, Hunter Gates, Seth Hellwig, Syvoney Ybarra, and Mackenzie Nelson all participated in last month’s Texas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Austin.

Jacksonville College students who are members of the Barnwell Anderson Chapter of the Walter Prescott Webb Society participated in the Texas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 1.

The student group was comprised of Thomas Ghiringhelli, Hunter Gates, Seth Hellwig, Syvoney Ybarra, and Mackenzie Nelson.

The purpose of this event was to showcase the experiences of undergraduate students engaged in research for Texas legislators and the public through high-quality poster presentations.

The program highlighted how research conducted by undergraduate students positively impacts Texas — and Texans — with the theme “Transforming Texas Through Undergraduate Research.”

Seventy colleges and universities participated in the event, but Jacksonville College was the only two-year college to display a poster.

The title of the Jacksonville College research was “The Killough Massacre: A Tragedy for the Killoughs and the Cherokees.”

The poster explained the time line of events leading to the Killough Massacre.

Poster information also included the difference in opinion that the first two presidents of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar, had toward the natives and the likelihood that the Cherokees were unjustly accused of the massacre.

In fact, there is evidence that friendly natives assisted the survivors.
The student research also emphasized that the community members need to have respect for the site where the monument memorializes the Killough family.

Webb Society members would like to assist teachers of students in fourth and seventh grade in learning about the site.

For more information, contact Dr. Patricia Richey at prichey@jacksonville-college.edu.