15th Student Conference is a mile wide AND a mile deep

16th April 2019

By Steven Krolak

(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)—This week, IU Southeast is proud to convene the 15th annual student conference.

From the evening of Thursday, April 18 to the afternoon of Friday, April 19, some 251 undergraduate and 30 graduate students from all schools will deliver a total of 204 oral and poster presentations in University Center and the Hoosier Rooms.

Supporting the students are 54 faculty mentors and 58 faculty judges, alongside 22 student volunteers.

The conference expresses the essence of IU Southeast’s commitment to high-impact teaching and learning practices, including research, collaboration, field work and international travel, as well as internships and experiential learning, the results of which often find expression in conference presentations.

This year’s conference is larger and more thematically diverse than ever–truly a mile wide AND a mile deep.

Among the themes investigated:

How can pet ownership improve your mental health?

How did the early American government balance the demands of farmers and merchants?

How do digital devices affect sleep patterns?

Can software help workers load steel onto a flatbed truck?

What did the Ford Model-T have to do with the expansion of the middle class?

Do people who have trouble describing their emotions drink more coffee?

Does the size of an island correlate with the richness of bird species found there?

The student conference is a dynamic campus tradition, constantly evolving in response to the unique interests and personalities of students, and to the growth of academic programs offered at IU Southeast.

Diane Wille, dean of graduate studies and research, once again teams up with Teresa Andrews, administrative secretary in the Office of Academic Affairs, to organize the conference.

If there is one overarching theme to this year’s conference, it is “More.”

More students, more presentations, more wide-ranging topics, more freshmen, more sophomores, more women in STEM fields.

“I’ve been struck by the clever and insightful research questions this year,” Wille said. “We have everything from art in the form of Japanese embroidery to end-of-life issues to island biogeography in the Red Sea. With over 200 presentations, there is truly something for everyone.”

2019 Schedule of Events

The Conference kicks off on Thursday, April 18 with graduate poster and paper sessions beginning at 5:30 p.m. in University Center North. Dr. Faye Camahalan, dean of the School of Education, will speak at 6:35 p.m., and award winners will be announced at 7 p.m.

On Friday, April 19, paper sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. in University Center, and poster sessions start at 9 a.m. in Hoosier Room West. Table-top poster presentations will be located in the hallway between UC North and UC South. A second paper session begins at 10:15 a.m.

Awards will be presented during the Luncheon beginning at 11:45 a.m. in the Hoosier Room. Speakers will include IU Southeast Chancellor Dr. Ray Wallace; Dr. Doug Barney, professor of accounting; and Tiffany Carbonneau, assistant professor of art, digital art and interactive media.

For more information, please visit the student conference website.

Homepage photo: Tewsdaay Babicka and Zachary Blasko presenting a poster at the 2018 IU Southeast Student Conference.

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