Bay College’s 9th Student Poster Symposium, held April 22, 2026, was a resounding success, drawing students, faculty, and community members to Café Bay on the Escanaba Campus for an engaging evening of academic exploration and achievement. The event provided a vibrant forum for students to display their coursework through professional poster presentations, sparking thoughtful discussions and highlighting the depth and diversity of student research across disciplines.
Scroll down for a gallery of the winning posters.
Throughout the two-hour symposium, attendees had the opportunity to interact directly with student presenters, who shared insights into their projects and answered questions in an open, collaborative environment. The poster format—commonly used at national conferences—allowed students to build valuable communication skills while gaining experience that will support their continued academic and professional journeys.
“This event continues to be an incredible opportunity for our students,” said Matthew P. Krynicki, instructor at Bay College. “They are not only strengthening their presentation abilities but also preparing for the next level of their education. Participating in something like this enhances their resumes while giving them the chance to share their work and learn from their peers.”
This year’s competition expanded its reach by welcoming remote participants in addition to those who attended in person. Students participating remotely discussed their projects with on-campus judges via video conference. The updated format was enthusiastically received, enhancing accessibility and allowing the event to draw participants from a broader geographic area. Judges assessed student posters on clarity, depth of content, and presentation quality.
The college is proud to recognize the outstanding work of this year’s participants, who created a dynamic and inspiring showcase of student achievement.
The winners of the 2026 Student Poster Symposium are as follows (scroll down for information on authors and course/program information):
2026 Student Poster Symposium Award Author and Course/Program information:
First place: Differential Equations in Music
Authors: Adrian Rhode, Wyatt Carlson, Kurtis Reath
Course/Program: Differential Equations
Second place: Seizure Safety is Michigan School Safety
Author: Julie Rexford
Course/Program: Early Childhood Education
Third place: Acylation of Ferrocene
Author: James C. Maxwell Jr.
Course/Program: Organic Chemistry
Third place: The Tongass National Forest: Ecological Integrity, Carbon Storage, and the Ethics of Industrial Logging
Author: Travis Mills
Course/Program: Environmental Science
Honorable Mention: Teddy Bear Clinic
Authors: Mya Zimmer, Nick Brown, Alayna Krumery
Course/Program: Nursing
Honorable Mention: Play Without Limits: Advocating for Loose Parts in Every Classroom
Author: Cassandra Szukalowski
Course/Program: Early Childhood Education
Honorable Mention: The Ideal Gas Law
Authors: Reagan Barnhart, Riley Martin, Riley Jacklovitz, James Maxwell
Course/Program: Physics
Honorable Mention: Newton's Law of Cooling and Regression Analysis Applied to the Cooling of Coffee
in Read-World Mugs
Authors: Sophia LaCosse, Michael Colavecchi
Course/Program: Differential Equations
Bay College extends its congratulations to all participants for their hard work and dedication, and thanks the faculty, staff, and community members who helped make the event a success.
For more information about the Bay College student poster symposium, please contact Dr. Krynicki at (906) 217-4103 or krynickm@baycollege.edu.
Bay College is the community’s college with a mission of: Student Success, Community Success, and Culture of Success. Bay is devoted to each individual’s achievement in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce by providing career certificates, associate degrees, transferable university credits, industry certifications, trainings, and professional development programs which develop skillsets, enrich individuals, and advance careers. #BayIsTheWay