PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University’s 2014 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium will be this Friday, August 1 in the Smith Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE). The public is invited to the free event that features the work of 59 students from WSU and 36 other universities.
Hosted by the WSU Office of Undergraduate Research, part of the Office of Undergraduate Education, the event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. [http://UndergraduateResearch.wsu.edu
At 9:30 a.m. in Smith CUE 203, Shelley Pressley, director of undergraduate research, will greet students and guests. Welcoming remarks will be made by William Andrefsky, Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor and dean of the WSU Graduate School.
The inaugural symposium keynote address, “Undergraduate Research and the Secret of Happiness,” will be delivered by M. Grant Norton, dean of the WSU Honors College and renowned materials science engineering researcher.
From 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the nearby second-floor Smith CUE Atrium, the summer student researchers will display posters and be on hand to discuss the results of their summer work.
The students were selected to participate in summer research programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields at WSU.
“Many professors who lead programs with funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S.D.A., and private grants invite applicants from across the nation to come work on their teams for the summer,” says Pressley.
“The students selected receive stipends and travel to Pullman to research side-by-side with our top faculty in world-class facilities. They are personally mentored and gain hands-on experience and skills that are invaluable to their futures. They make friends and enjoy summertime on the Palouse. Many of them may even return to WSU as graduate students.”
Their work will help to answer such questions as:
Would understanding the genetics of cherries improve harvesting methods for Washington growers?
What are the shock wave responses at different impact velocities of 1050 aluminum, which is commonly used as an impactor and buffer in experiments?
Does a global climatic event impact accuracy of climate models (with consideration of El Nino and seasonal forecasting)?
To learn more about the student researchers, their mentors, and the work pursued this summer, read the symposium book of abstracts online at http://UndergraduateResearch.wsu.edu.
Contacts:
Shelley Pressley, Director, Office of Undergraduate Research, part of the WSU Office of Undergraduate Education, 509-335-5443, spressley@wsu.edu
Beverly Makhani, Communications Director, WSU Office of Undergraduate Education, 509-335-6679, makhani@wsu.edu