Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement 2026

On April 28th, our research team had the pleasure of attending the 2026 Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE), hosted by Northern Illinois University. As a collaborative effort, we split into three poster groups to showcase three different research projects within our team. Our presentations focused on:

• Between Desire and Delay: Emerging Adult Views on Commitment and Marriage Postponement
• Mapping Modern Relationships: Emerging Adult Pathways to Commitment and Marriage Readiness
• How Couples Decide Today: Nine Years of Modern Love and Commitment Insights from DecideToCommit.com

We felt these topics strongly represented who we are as a team. Our work centers on understanding how romantic relationships form while making psychoeducation accessible to our communities. These ideas are also personal to us—not only do we study emerging adults, but we are emerging adults navigating modern commitment and marriage ourselves.

Preparing for the Conference

Before even stepping into the Ellington Ballroom, our work began together as a team. During our weekly meetings, we dedicated time to preparing for CURE 2026 by dividing responsibilities and working collaboratively to finalize poster formats, visuals, and written sections.

At first, sorting through such a large amount of information felt overwhelming. However, it was reassuring to go through the process together. Once our posters were complete, we shifted our focus to preparing our oral presentations. Each member took responsibility for specific sections, practiced independently, and then came together to rehearse as a group.

While rehearsing in front of each other often felt lighthearted and even a little goofy, it ultimately helped us build confidence. By the time we arrived at the conference, we felt prepared and ready to share our research with others.

Poster 1: Between Desire and Delay

Our first presentation, “Between Desire and Delay: Emerging Adult Views on Commitment and Marriage Postponement,” (click link to view the poster) was presented by Olivia Paluzzi, Serenity Baskins, Emily Switzer, and Adriana Jenkins.

This study focused on how emerging adults define commitment and why they believe marriage is being postponed. We interviewed 20 unmarried emerging adults (10 men and 10 women), using in-depth qualitative methods guided by two research questions:

• How do unmarried emerging adults define commitment in romantic relationships, and how have these definitions developed?
• Why do they believe individuals ages 18–29 are postponing marriage?

From these interviews, several key themes emerged. Participants often defined commitment as loyalty, emotional and personal investment, and something shaped by their parents’ relationships. At the same time, these expectations appear to contribute to marriage postponement.

Many participants described delaying marriage due to fear of making the wrong decision, uncertainty about the future, and the normalization of cohabitation. Together, these factors help explain why many young adults remain in the dating stage rather than transitioning into marriage.

Poster 2: Mapping Modern Relationships

Our second presentation, “Mapping Modern Relationships: Emerging Adult Pathways to Commitment and Marriage Readiness,” (click link to view the poster) was presented by Molly Williams, Olivia Paluzzi, Sara Rozalowski, and Jose Brito.

This study explored how emerging adults understand the purpose, stages, and progression of romantic relationships. It included 57 participants (33 women and 24 men) across nine in-person focus groups.

The discussions centered around four main research questions:

• What is the purpose of romantic relationships?
• What stages do relationships move through on the path to commitment?
• How do emerging adults feel about marriage and their readiness for it?
• How do modern relationship pathways differ from previous generations?

Our findings highlighted just how complex modern relationships have become. Cultural and technological changes have introduced a wide range of perspectives. Some participants prioritized personal growth and career development before pursuing long-term relationships, while others emphasized growing together with a partner.

There were also mixed views on cohabitation—some saw it as a practical step to learn about a partner, while others viewed it as unnecessary or even risky. These differences reveal just how varied relationship expectations are today and highlight the need for continued research in this area.

Poster 3: How Couples Decide Today

Our third presentation, “How Couples Decide Today: Nine Years of Modern Love and Commitment Insights from DecideToCommit.com,” (click link to view the poster) was presented by Blasita Ochoa Garcia, Brooklyn Garcia, Rhea Bough, and Justic Libboy.

This poster focused on our team’s website, DecideToCommit.com, which serves as both a creative outlet for student mentorship and a public scholarship initiative centered on relationship formation.

At CURE, this project allowed us to showcase our commitment to making relationship science accessible. Our blog posts and articles are written to be engaging, culturally relevant, and free from barriers like paywalls or overly technical language.

We highlighted three example posts:

• “Valentine’s Day Reality: Managing Expectations for More Enjoyment”
• “Sneaky Links: The Relationship You’re Not Supposed to Catch Feelings For”
• “Rethinking ‘The One’: How Soulmate Thinking Misguides Modern Love”

These pieces reflect the heart of our mission—helping emerging adults navigate modern relationship challenges by emphasizing emotional honesty, clarity, mutual intention, and resilience.

Final Reflections

These are articles that truly represent our website, as they help educate our audience on modern relationship concepts and experiences. Many of these are unique to young adults today and are not always reflected in what previous generations experienced or discussed. Through this work, we highlight the importance of emotional responsiveness, clarity, mutual intention, honesty, effort, and resilience in relationships.

In conclusion, it was such an honor to have the opportunity to present at the Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement. We are incredibly grateful to have shared a space with such dedicated students and faculty who are passionate about the topics and theories they study, just like us. Being a part of this team has opened so many doors for connection within our group, our community, the university, and our future professions. We hope that by putting our research into the public eye, others can learn from and benefit from these efforts as well.

Blasita Ochoa Garcia

I am a junior majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences, with an emphasis in Child Development. My minors are in Spanish and rehabilitation counseling, hoping to reach out my services to a wider audience. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in child life specialist.