A record number of students participated in the spring installment of Colorado State University’s annual undergraduate research and artistry symposium.

Undergraduates from across CSU’s eight colleges participated in the Multicultural Undergraduate Research Art and Leadership Symposium (MURALS) on March 31 at the Lory Student Center. In all, 168 students took part in the symposium, which provides a platform for undergraduate students with marginalized identities to showcase their scholarly work.

As in the fall edition of MURALS, students presented in the LSC Ballroom, competing in categories such as Social Sciences and Humanities, STEM, Service Learning and Leadership, Creative Arts and Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“MURALS is obviously no secret at CSU,” said Bridgette Johnson, assistant vice president for inclusive excellence. “Nearly 170 students eagerly submitted scholarly work across a variety of areas, and it continues to be one of the most admirable programs that highlight and center students who have been and continue to be marginalized. It is such an honor to see them see themselves as scholars.”

Jocelyn Lapham, studying fine art with a concentration in graphic design in the College of Liberal Arts, won the overall spot in MURALS.

Lapham presented on a proactive, community-centered program solution to reducing/ending police brutality in America based on a preliminary literature review she conducted after attending the 2022 Alternative Spring Break Civil Rights Tour with SLiCE.

“Winning MURALS overall is a huge honor,” Lapham said. “I was happily surprised to receive an outpouring of positive responses to my highly controversial topic on the day. Winning has given me a healthy amount of pressure to continue my research and begin to roll-out a pilot program — which hopefully CSU students will be open to being a part of.”