FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2004

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

DRAKE STUDENTS TO PRESENT FINDINGS AT RESEARCH CONFERENCE

On Friday, April 9, Drake University will host its first-ever Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences. This conference provides an opportunity for approximately 100 undergraduates to present their research to faculty, students and the general public.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parents Hall at Olmsted Center, 29th Street and University Avenue. John Burney, dean of Drake's College of Arts and Sciences, will welcome students and spectators and make opening remarks.

Student researchers will participate in oral presentations and poster sessions throughout the day. In addition, students will compete for prizes in a Science Quiz Bowl from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. The competition will be followed by an awards presentation.

The conference was organized by Maria Bohorquez, associate professor of chemistry; Charles Nelson, assistant professor of physics and astronomy; and Heidi Sleister, assistant professor of biology; in cooperation with a committee of students.

"The research topics that will be presented are very diverse, ranging from medical applications to mathematical theories," Bohorquez said. "Many people believe that cutting-edge scientific research is carried out only at large so-called research one institutions. While our resources at Drake are limited, there is still important and exciting work being done. We are working to improve the infrastructure and environment supporting research here at Drake and this conference is an important part of that effort."

Bohorquez said the conference is a student-centered event. "We welcome all Drake students to attend," she added. "Non-science majors will have the opportunity to see the really cool things that their friends are doing in the lab. Furthermore, this is an opportunity for non-science students to see how scientists communicate their findings to their peers. This has important implications for how the scientific community reaches consensus. In this day and age when highly technical scientific advances regularly have a bearing on social issues, government policy and the rapid change in society at large, it is important that informed citizens have confidence in the way that scientists approach these issues."

More information about the conference, including the titles and abstracts of conference talks and posters, is posted at www.drake.edu/ducurs/.