July 06, 2017
McNair Scholars will present work on July 14
Fourteen undergraduate students in a program that prepares them for careers in research will present their work at the 14th annual McNair Summer Research Symposium on Friday, July 14.
The symposium is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium. The event includes 14 oral presentations from McNair Scholars. Topics include “Attitudes of College Students toward individuals with Substance Abuse Disorders,” “Comedic Realism: Richard Pryor and a Peek into Black Culture,” “Perceptions of Privacy Through Generations” and “The Transition and Challenges of Deaf Students form High School to College.” The list of undergraduate scholars, faculty mentors and topics is here.
Karen Renzaglia, a professor in plant biology and SIU McNair Scholars program director will present opening remarks. David DiLalla, associate provost for academic administration and provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, will give closing remarks. Renzaglia and Rhetta Seymour, program associate director, will present awards beginning at 3:10 p.m.
The Summer Research Institute is an eight-week intensive program that equips McNair Scholars with the necessary research skills to succeed in graduate school. Students pair with faculty members on their respective research projects.
In addition, nine students in the SI Bridges to the Baccalaureate program will make poster presentations from 11 a.m. to noon in the library’s first floor rotunda. The SI Bridges program is funded by the National Institutes of Health and provides paid biomedical and behavioral science research training and professional development for underserved students at John A. Logan College and Shawnee Community College who will complete a bachelor’s degree at SIU in science, technology, engineering, math or social science disciplines. This summer, students gained lab experience by working closely with research education specialist Jessica Lucas.
The McNair Scholars Program honors the late Ronald E. McNair, a physicist and astronaut who died in the January 1986 explosion of the Challenger space shuttle.