Two Lehigh Carbon Community College students presented papers at the annual Beacon Conference for Students at two-year colleges on June 7 in Bethlehem.

Caitlin Brown and Michele Andrews were selected from 127 submissions from students at 12 community colleges in five states.

Brown of Orefield, a psychology major, presented the paper, "The Effects of Religious and Family Socialization on Gender Ideology."

LCCC professor Christine Bowditch served as her faculty mentor.

Andrews of Schnecksville, a biotechnology major, presented the paper, "Testing the Antibacterial Qualities of Common Essential Oils." LCCC professor Eric DeAngelo served as her faculty mentor.

Andrews was recognized as the best presenter for her panel.

The Beacon Conference was established in 1993 to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the academic achievements of outstanding students at community colleges in the mid-Atlantic region.

The conference is held each year on the first Friday in June, and it encompasses a wide range of disciplines.

Students work with faculty mentors from their colleges to prepare and submit papers that demonstrate outstanding scholarship and originality.

Submitted papers are then read and ranked by community college professors with expertise in a particular discipline.

The top three papers in each category are selected for presentation at the conference.

Student presentations on each panel are judged on originality and quality of research, written work, and oral presentation by a judge from a four-year college or an expert from a renowned institution in the field.

The judge for each category chooses the most outstanding presenter.

Outstanding presenters and their faculty mentors are recognized at the closing session of the conference, and they receive $100 awards.