Elizabethtown College students gained hands-on, high-impact experiences beyond the classroom this summer by participating in the annual Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP).

Learn more about this year’s SCARP Projects through an interactive recap of student research.

“My mentor, Dr. (David) Bowne, has been one of the most impactful figures in my college career,” Lilianna DeBlasio ’27. “He is impressively passionate about the field of ecology and takes a special interest in educating others. My time working with him has been very meaningful and has provided me with several skills I foresee myself using later in life. He has provided very important guidance throughout this experience while also encouraging my partner and me to take ownership of our independent projects.”

Throughout this year’s 2026 SCARP Series initiative, we covered the innovative work of 15 student-led projects, ranging from research on how music-based approaches foster belonging and engagement among students from low-income households to examining how different playing surfaces affect an athlete’s ability to cut and jump.

SCARP was created to support independent student scholarship under the sponsorship of a faculty or staff mentor. The program is a non-credit experiential learning program designed to enhance professional skills and provide a competitive advantage to participating students in the pursuit of career opportunities and graduate studies.

Participating faculty/staff scholars and researchers also benefit from student involvement in support of professional scholarship and research agendas.

“At Etown and within the Occupational Therapy Department, we are intentional about connecting with our students, whether that be during our advising sessions, in the classroom, or in a quick conversation in the hallway,” Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, Marla Davis ’15, MSOT’16 said. “For me, the most rewarding part of this program is that it provides another opportunity to connect with students on a more individualized level. It is also really exciting to see their identities as student researchers grow and develop as they hone their skills.”

SCARP programming is partially funded by generous supporters Dr. E. Jane Valas ’79 and the Diane V. Hichwa ’69 Faculty-Student Research Fund.