The annual Capstone Festival showcases the culmination of students’ academic journeys at MBU. Through research presentations, performances, exhibitions, and applied projects, students share work developed over the course of their capstone experiences, demonstrating creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving. Open to the campus and local community, the festival highlights how students synthesize knowledge, skills, and passions into meaningful, purpose-driven work.

Capstone Schedule

Monday, May 4: Graduate Student Showcase 

• 1 p.m. in Francis Auditorium

Tuedsay, May 5: Undergraduate Research Festival and Awards Ceremony 

• Paper presentations: 9 a.m. in Francis Auditorium  
• Artistic presentations: 1 p.m. in Francis Auditorium and Carpenter Commons (Grafton Library)
• Poster and High Impact Practice presentations: 2:15 p.m. in Carpenter Commons

MBU Signature Events are a new series of public lectures, performances, and community experiences hosted by Mary Baldwin University and designed to engage both the campus and broader Staunton communities. Events are sponsored by one of MBU’s four academic “Neighborhoods,” interdisciplinary communities that unite students and faculty around shared interests in areas like business and technology, health and science, education and society, and creativity and design. Signature Events bring the Mary Baldwin Signature to life — a distinctive academic and residential model that emphasizes purpose-driven learning, community connection, and real-world readiness. Learn more at marybaldwin.edu/signature.