Alumna Elizabeth Ehrhardt, MD, MPH, CPH, Class of 2016, will officially kick off Westminster’s 19th Annual Undergraduate Scholars Forum (USF) at 9 a.m. on April 16, 2026, in Coulter Science Center.
Ehrhardt’s presentation, titled “When the Plan Changes: Finding Direction in the Unexpected,” is free and open to the public. Livestreaming is available on the College’s Facebook and livestream pages.
Kali Wright-Smith, PhD, professor of political science and co-director of the USF, says the audience can expect to learn how a Westminster education can help one deal productively with adversity.
“We are looking forward to hosting Dr. Ehrhardt because she represents the importance of an interdisciplinary education. With a career that has integrated biochemistry, public health and psychology, her message will appeal to many of our students,” Wright-Smith explains. “Dr. Ehrhardt also did not follow a linear path in her educational journey. There were changes along the way, and her experience demonstrates that staying open to those changes can bring success.”
Ehrhardt earned a degree in biochemistry from Westminster before going on to study at St. Louis University, where she earned a master’s degree in public health and child health in 2018. She then earned a medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 2022.
Today, Ehrhardt serves as a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at the University of Missouri. She is active in mentoring medical students and volunteering in community clinics.
As a proud Westminster alumna, Ehrhardt remains closely connected to the College through her work as an advisor to the Epsilon Iota chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta.
Junior Viridian Lowe of Fulton, Missouri, will give a student presentation during the opening session, which will end with a variety of academic student awards.
The USF will continue in concurrent sessions throughout the day in Coulter Science Center, featuring a wide variety of original student work.
The complete 2026 USF schedule can be found on Westminster’s website.
Founded in 2008, the USF promotes undergraduate research and other scholarly work ― integral components of a Westminster liberal arts education. During the USF, approximately 100 students from 17 academic programs present original research through multimedia projects, papers and posters.
Abby Coats, PhD, professor of psychology and co-director of the 2026 USF, reflects, “This end-of-year celebration is a meaningful way to recognize our students’ hard work, and the USF exemplifies Westminster at its best.”
The USF is generously funded by an endowment established by the Stubbs family, which includes a number of Westminster graduates, including the late David Stubbs, MD ’68, Thad Stubbs ’99, Courtney (Stubbs) Swan ’01, Zach Stubbs ’07, Rebecca Stubbs ’08 and Beth (Howard) MacLellan ’00.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.
