For thirteen years, the Academic Research Conference invited students and faculty from around the globe to showcase their innovative academic research and creative work to establish an archive of their research and assist them in achieving their educational and professional objectives. The Academic Research Conference is a venue that shows the students’ commitment to investigate research questions and show their creative work in a broad scope of disciplines.

The ARC empowers participants to share their thoughts, discoveries, and other creative work with other students, faculty, and the community. Undergraduates, graduates, and professionals are welcome to present at the ARC. Based on participation in the 2025 meeting, we were inspired by the overwhelming participation from 792 students, 123 mentors, 54 institutions, and 24 academic majors across 18 countries. We offer the conference in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual) to accommodate international participants and travel limitations.

Presenters can choose their preferred style of showing their work. Presenters who can attend the in-person version of the meeting will present their research to many attendees. Students who cannot participate in the in-person meeting will create an internet archive of their research, share their work with a broader audience, and build their portfolio through the virtual meeting format (live Zoom sessions or prerecorded video). The opportunity to record presentations will enable students to develop a digital exhibit of their research and creative work on the ARC YouTube Channel.

The ARC started in 2011 with only 12 poster presentations and a handful of faculty mentors in one major. In 2011, the ARC was conceived as a local conference serving UWA students, evolved into a regional meeting serving surrounding universities in 2017, and matured as an international venue welcoming everyone from around the world in 2021.

The 2026 ARC is cohosted by the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah (USMBA), Alcorn State University, and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (A&M).

Steering Committee

  • Mustafa Morsy (Chair) – UWA
  • Danielle Miller – UWA
  • Kaleigh Pate – UWA
  • Melissa Haab – UWA
  • Tracy Keener – UWA
  • Andrea Mayfield – UWA
  • Anouar Alami – USMBA
  • Elena Kostyleva – Alcorn State University
  • Clement Akotsen-Mensah – Alabama A & M