Wilson College to Hold 6th Annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1

Wilson College students will present the results of their undergraduate research at Wilson’s 6th annual Student Research Day on Friday, May 1. The public is invited to join Wilson students, faculty, staff and administrators at all events. 

Seniors will present their work, which was produced in conjunction with faculty advisers, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Brooks Science Complex auditorium. Other students will share their work graphically in a poster session, to be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., also in Brooks. Presentations will showcase undergraduate research projects in such disciplines as biology, chemistry, English, environmental science, fine arts and psychology.

“Student Research Day quickly has become a strong academic tradition on our campus,” said Elissa Heil, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “It’s a full day that we set aside to showcase the remarkable achievements of our students. It also celebrates our strong student and faculty collaboration.” 

Student Research Day is again being sponsored this year by the NOVA Corp., a minority-owned information technology service company headquartered in Chambersburg.

Presentations will focus on the humanities, sciences and social sciences, including the prestigious Disert Scholar from 4:30 to 5 p.m. in the Brooks Complex. The Disert award, given to the student with the best honors thesis proposal, went this year to Kotchaphorn Mangkalaphiban, who will present the results of her research on the effects of natural anti-inflammatories – ginger and turmeric – in mice. The study’s findings may ultimately be helpful in improving anti-inflammatory drugs.

Other presentations will include examinations of: the influence of America writer David Foster Wallace and how his work may help readers “make sense of the forces that threaten our ability to feel human today and (enable) us to imagine paths of resistance to these forces;” the efficacy of three Chinese herbal medicines on the symptoms of asthma; and how a commonly used Wall Street investment behavior metric can be improved.

Also on May 1, three Wilson seniors, Jessika Dockery, Leah Edwards and Stephanie Laurent – all majoring in fine arts – will host a capstone exhibition of their artwork from 4 to 8 p.m. at Nathan Miller Chocolate, 140 N. 3^rd Street, Chambersburg, and in Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery from May 4 to 17.

Wilson’s Student Research Day will conclude with the annual Academic Awards presentation at 6 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium.

MEDIA CONTACT:      Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations

            Phone: 717-262-2604

            Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu