Eight Lawrence students got a chance recently to share their research in the sciences at symposia hosted by the PEW Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium.
On Oct. 29-31, five students headed to the University of Chicago for the Biological Sciences and Psychology conference. The students were John Giudicessi, Jessica Holz, Shashima Nakahara, Dana Raugi, and Melanie Ufkin. They drove to Chicago with David “Dr. Dave” Hall, assistant professor of chemistry.
Last weekend, Nov. 5-7, three students flew to Washington University in St. Louis for the PEW’s Physical Sciences and Mathematics conference. They were Katie Maerzke, Marija Mentinova, and Duncan Ryan.
Both conferences gave undergraduates an opportunity to present their own research, in either oral presentations or poster sessions.
In Chicago, the biology and psychology students heard speeches, observed the work of other undergraduates, and attended sessions on applying to graduate school or for careers at liberal arts colleges. Saturday evening they visited the Brookfield Zoo and enjoyed h’ors d’oeuvres at Habitat Africa and dinner at Safari.
Lawrence’s representatives stayed at the Holiday Inn, along with students from 12 other out-of-town colleges and universities.
In St. Louis, the chemistry and physics students were treated to much the same schedule: dinners, speeches, oral presentations, and poster sessions. Saturday night’s entertainment was a trip to the McDonnell Planetarium at the St. Louis Science Center.
The Pew Consortium includes 11 liberal arts colleges and two research universities in seven states. Its goals are to improve undergraduate science and mathematics education, promote collaboration between its institutions, and to assist with research at undergraduate colleges.
The two conferences alternate locations annually between Chicago and St. Louis.
Science students get away
