Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Highlights Regional, National Topics
Local professor, high school teacher to receive awards
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will host its signature undergraduate research event—the 17th annual Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference—this Saturday, April 19. The conference is sponsored by Penn State Behrend and the northwest Pennsylvania chapter of Sigma Xi, an international, multidisciplinary research society.
Student presentations will be held in Nick Building and Roche Hall, both of which are part of the college’s School of Science complex, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and are free and open to the public.
“We feel that research and creative accomplishment are important components in undergraduate education,” said Robert Light, senior associate dean for research, graduate studies and outreach. “This conference is the fifth program to be established at Penn State Behrend that promotes student involvement in research and creative accomplishment.” Annually Penn State Behrend provides nearly $200,000 to support undergraduate research.
The half-day event concludes with an awards luncheon for participants at noon in Reed Union Building’s McGarvey Commons. Harry R. “Rick” Diz, associate professor and chair of the department of environmental science and engineering at Gannon University, is the luncheon’s keynote speaker and 2008 recipient of the Sigma Xi award for faculty mentorship of student research. The second annual Sigma Xi award for high school science/mathematics teacher of the year will be presented to Herbert Bossard, a math teacher at Linesville High School.
Students from 10 colleges and universities in western Pennsylvania will present a total of 101 research projects. Participating students represent Penn State Behrend as well as Allegheny College, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Gannon, Grove City College, Mercyhurst College, Penn State Altoona, Penn State DuBois, Penn State Shenango, and Westminster College.
Student presentations range from biology and geology to computer science and engineering to psychology and sociology and include myriad topics relevant to college students and the nation as a whole. Research titles include “Prevalent factors affecting satisfaction and student retention at Penn State Behrend” and “The effects of background music on studying” plus “A change in the airline industry: Customer service and September 11, 2001” and “Mobile RFID devices in the retail industry.”
In addition to the conference, Penn State Behrend has developed several funding and recognition programs that enhance and target undergraduate research opportunities, including the Council of Fellows undergraduate student research award, undergraduate student research grants, undergraduate student summer research fellowships, and undergraduate student travel grants.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is a comprehensive residential college offering 33 baccalaureate, six associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 22 minors to more than 4,400 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 110 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 intramural sports and modern facilities. For more information, visit behrend.psu.edu.