Misericordia University Highlights Student Research Through 2025 SURF Program

Misericordia University Highlights Student Research Through 2025 SURF Program

DALLAS, Pa. — Misericordia University’s 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is once again providing students with opportunities to conduct in-depth, faculty-mentored research on timely, complex topics that explore society, policy, history and equity.

For more than a decade, the SURF program has supported student-driven inquiry across disciplines, emphasizing the value of collaboration between mentors and fellows. This year’s cohort continues that tradition, tackling diverse questions ranging from sports business ethics to overlooked aspects of American history.

Among the 2025 fellows is Bennett McNamara, whose project takes a business-focused look at professional sports. McNamara is researching “Inequity and Antitrust: Implications of NBA Trades on the Collective Bargaining Agreement.” His work investigates how high-profile, uneven trades can distort competitive balance and harm the business health of the league.

“The NBA not only wants to progress the game of basketball for the love of the sport, but it also seeks to create business opportunities and retain viewership,” McNamara explains. Citing a recent lopsided trade involving Luka Doncic as an example, he aims to analyze the history of such deals and propose measures to prevent unfair practices.

A lifelong athlete himself, McNamara says the SURF program has allowed him to apply his writing and research skills to sports legal issues. “The depth of specificity needed to complete and enforce these business decisions has shown me how much attention to detail is needed in this field,” he says, adding that he appreciates the program’s supportive environment and resources.

Also among this year’s fellows is Vivian Wright, whose research underscores the importance of amplifying underrepresented histories. Wright is conducting a literature review of queer life in 18th- and 19th-century America, analyzing texts that address male-male relationships, female-female relationships, and people who might be considered transgender by modern standards.

“I myself am queer, and I feel it is more important than ever for people to know and understand queer history in the U.S.,” Wright says. She hopes to challenge the misconception that queerness is a purely modern phenomenon by exploring its deeper historical roots.

Wright’s research involves grappling with nuanced debates over historical terminology and interpretation. “Historians often argue over whether or not it is appropriate to use modern language to describe historical figures when that language did not exist when they were alive,” she explains. Despite these challenges, she values the process, describing it as “a lot of reading” and regular, meaningful discussions with her advisor, Dr. Black. “I feel I’m really growing as a researcher with her guidance,” she says.

Misericordia University’s SURF program continues to encourage students to pursue important questions that deepen our understanding of the past and present while shaping a more equitable future. By supporting projects like McNamara’s and Wright’s, the university reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence and to fostering research that reflects the values of its community.

For more information about the SURF program and other research opportunities at Misericordia University, click here.