The Symposium of Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities is a celebration of student research and a place where students, both undergraduate and graduate, are given an opportunity to present their research. But, this year, the symposium is in danger of being canceled if it does not find someone to organize it.
Dr. Scott Baird, a professor in the department of Biological Sciences, has organized the event with the help of a few of his graduate students and the Graduate Student Assembly. Baird has stepped down this year. The Graduate Student Assembly have helped in the past, and they are working with Student Government and the Faculty Senate to find someone to replace Baird.
But, as it stands, no one has stepped up to the plate to host the event. “To my knowledge, one, or no committee, has shown any interest in taking on the event,” said Sara Seibert, a PhD Student studying Population Genetics who has volunteered at the event.
The event has historically been funded by sponsors, so organizing the event would not be a financial burden on an organization. Seibert said, “It would just take someone like Scott, or some organization to be willing to pour some of their time into it.” Last year’s symposium, held in April, was a full day packed with research. It ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and over thirty students gave talks about their research and presented posters.
“The event usually slants towards STEM research,” said Seibert. “We hope, if we can get someone to host the event, that this year we will bring more CoLA students.”
Although the presentations did slant toward the STEM fields, there was student research representing nearly every college on campus. The symposium is also a place for students to tune-up their public-speaking toolkits. “It’s an easy introduction to speaking and presenting research.
They present to a smaller group of people, which prepares them before they might have to go on and present at a bigger event, like a national conference,” said Seibert. The Graduate Student Assembly has put out requests to a few people and organizations on campus but no one has officially stepped up, according to Seibert.
As a member of the Graduate Student Assembly, Seibert wants to tell any group or person interested that the Graduate Student Assembly is willing to help out.
