Allegheny’s 2018 Scholars Symposium to Feature Student Research and Accomplishments

Allegheny College will welcome students, their families and friends, staff, faculty and the public to a celebration of student research and achievement on Tuesday, May 1.

This will be the College’s second annual Richard J. Cook – Teresa M. Lahti Scholars Symposium, a campus-wide, all-day celebration that highlights innovative student projects completed during the past academic year.

“The Richard J. Cook – Teresa M. Lahti Scholars Symposium creates an opportunity for the entire Allegheny College community to come together and celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our graduating seniors as well as other outstanding students,” said Aimee Knupsky, chair of the Psychology Department and director of the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Office in the Allegheny Gateway.

“By highlighting the work students have done for their senior comprehensive projects, along with their experiences in civic engagement, international study and internships across the country, we get to acknowledge and appreciate what the culmination of an Allegheny education looks like,” Knupsky said. “The celebration highlights work from all disciplines and showcases our students’ expertise not just in the classroom, but in the lab, in the studio, on the stage and in the community.

“Maybe most importantly, during the symposium, continuing students have many opportunities to get advice and ideas from graduating seniors as well as from faculty and staff about how to pursue their education and career goals during their time at Allegheny. Overall, the symposium is meant to be a time of inspiration and celebration for the whole community.”

• The day’s events will start with a mentor breakfast for rising sophomores and juniors who want to learn more about research opportunities and learn about the scope of the required senior capstone projects. (This event is open only to Allegheny students; registration is required.)

• Gateway Spotlight events will be held in various locations at 10 a.m. Guests can learn more about Allegheny’s innovative experiential learning center that houses career services, pre-professional and graduate school advising, research funding and fellowships, internship opportunities and more.

• Concurrent panel discussions will take place at 11 a.m. in which selected students’ research will be highlighted and discussed. At noon, guests are invited to the Art Galleries at Allegheny to view senior art projects and enjoy refreshments.

• The afternoon features the Keynote Session in the Tippie Alumni Center at 1 p.m. with Associate Professor of English M. Soledad Caballero discussing the impact an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to the College has had on undergraduate research in the humanities.

• Poster sessions in Pelletier Library will begin at 2:15 p.m. where students will discuss their senior projects.

• At 4 p.m., the Honors Convocation in Ford Chapel will be held, where student prizes are announced. A reception will follow in Pelletier Library at 6 p.m.

Some scholar symposium events already have been held, such as the Dance and Movement Studies Minors Concert. Other events feature presentations of senior projects, including an art show, film screenings and creative-writing readings, all being held during April.

“It’s a time that we can all celebrate and congratulate each other, and that acknowledgment can mean so much more to someone than just receiving a good grade,” said senior Stella Goodworth of Shelbyville, Tennessee. “Allegheny students do work in such a vast range of areas and topics, but since we all get so deeply involved in our own interests, we don’t always get a chance to learn about the interesting projects going on in other divisions or departments. The Scholars Symposium is such an amazing way to display the spirit and creativity of Allegheny’s students.”

A complete schedule of events and more information is available here. Unless otherwise noted, all Scholars Symposium events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Allegheny Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Office at (814) 332-6270.