Science Symposium Highlights Student Research
“This is their first taste of what it’s like to be on a research team and to be with other people who are just doing research,” said Deborah Zies, associate professor of biology and co-director of the Summer Science Institute. “It’s a great opportunity for faculty and students to get started on a project and work.”
The daylong event is one of the few to bring together biology, chemistry, earth and environmental science, math, computer science and physics students to present their original research projects to faculty, families and peers.
Students presented on a wide-range of research, from chemical signals in crayfish interactions to astrophotography to the downfall of antibiotics.
“It’s a high-impact learning experience,” said Nicole Crowder, assistant professor of chemistry and co-director of the Summer Science Institute. “I hope that this program exposes students to what it’s really like to be a scientist. Students take the knowledge that they’ve been gaining in the classroom and really apply it.”
At the end of the symposium, the following students received awards for their research presentations:
First-place Oral Presentation: Jerome Mueller, “Developing a Tetra Interpreter,” Faculty Advisor: Ian Finlayson, assistant professor, computer science
Second-place Oral Presentation: Amy Jayas, “The Best Dam Project Ever,” Faculty Advisor: Alan B. Griffith, associate professor, biology
First-place Poster Presentation: Kevin Speray, “Qualifying the Efficacy of Aeschynomene virginica as an Indicator Species for Sea-Level Rise,” Faculty Advisor: Alan B. Griffith, associate professor, biology
Second-place Poster Presentation: Shehan Rajapakse, “Designing the Tetra IDE,” Faculty Advisor: Ian Finlayson, assistant professor, computer scienceUMW to Host STEM Events, March 29
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics will be in full swing at the University of Mary Washington on Saturday, March 29 with the following events:
SeaPerch Competition
Local high school and middle school students come together to compete with SeaPerch robots or underwater remotely operated vehicles at the Anderson Center pool from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check out www.seaperch.org for more information.
STEM Summit 16
UMW will host the third annual FredTech STEM 16 Summit showcasing the achievements of the region’s students, educators and businesses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the Anderson Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information available at http://members.fredericksburgchamber.org/events/details/3rd-annual-stem-summit-3205
Calculus Tournament
Six teams from regional high schools come together to compete in a tournament sponsored by the Department of Mathematics in Monroe Hall from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call or email (540) 654-1332
(540) 654-1332 or llehman@umw.edu for more information.
UMW to Host STEM Summit, March 29
Missy Cummings, director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab and associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Duke University, will deliver the keynote address at noon. She is a leading authority on drone technologies and human-machine collaboration and is one of the U.S. Navy’s first female fighter pilots.
Featuring more than 40 local secondary schools, UMW, Germanna Community College and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, the event will include STEM-related booths and technology demonstrations throughout the day.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, visit http://members.fredericksburgchamber.org/events/details/3rd-annual-stem-summit-3205.