Symposium lets students show work
By Lara Hendrickson
Staff Reporter

One hundred and fifty students will be presenting posters in the first Student Research Symposium for the College of Science and Engineering today, Lyn Dart, chairwoman of the SRS organization committee, said Tuesday.

Dart, a nutritional sciences professor, said this is the first year the college has come together to do a project and that it is a huge celebration of student research.

“This is giving them a chance to mingle and to showcase their research,” Dart said. “It is extra special for science students to be able to do that. Usually, they don’t mingle at all.

It is just physics with physics, psychology with psychology.”

Dean of the College of Science and Engineering Mike McCracken said one goal of the student research symposium is to form a bond between the different departments in the college of science and engineering.

“In three different buildings, it is often difficult for faculty to know what is going on in other departments,” McCracken said. “If we can come together as a college, we can get a better sense of the scope and variety of all the different research projects.”

McCracken said he approved the symposium with great confidence because of the benefits it offers students.

“We wanted to provide students with opportunities to organize research,” he said. “This was a very good learning experience for the students.”

Karyn Purvis, doctoral student of psychology, said she is presenting three posters in the area of developmental research and that she has been working 80 hours a week to prepare for the symposium. Purvis said she thinks this is a good opportunity for an interchange of thoughts.

“It’s really a treat for TCU to give us the chance to work together and brainstorm,” Purvis said. “This is a step towards the practical application of our mission statement.”

Dart said all student participants have spent a great deal of time preparing for the event and it is the perfect opportunity for them to exercise what they know.

“This is really a good thing,” Dart said. “They have been planning all year long, and it has been a lot of work. We’re expecting it to get better and better in years to come.”

Dart said she has already had many responses to the event and that faculty, student participants, members of the community, scientists and people who did collaborative research will be in attendance.

“I’m just wondering if we will have enough food,” Dart said.

McCracken said he hopes in years to come, even larger numbers will be in attendance, and that this years’ symposium has already achieved their objectives.

“I have been quite impressed by (the symposium),” McCracken said. “It has exceeded my original expectations.”

Dart said the symposium will be held on all floors of the Tucker Technology Center, and that Blue Mesa and Central Market will both have food there. She said the TCU Dance department will be performing, and there will be exhibits and hands-on activities at the event.

l.c.hendrickson@tcu.edu