LEARNING AT HEART OF STUDENT RESEARCH CONFERENCE

Being prepared for the work place requires more than classroom learning these days.

That's one of the reasons more than 75 Southeast Missouri State University students have registered to participate in the Fourth Annual Student Research Conference. The conference will be Monday and Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University Center.

Dr. Kala M. Stroup, Missouri Commissioner of Higher Education and former Southeast president, will present the keynote address at noon April 22 in the University Center Ballroom.

Dr. Martha Zlokovich, Southeast assistant professor of psychology and conference committee faculty adviser, said the conference has grown since its inception.

Fifty-one presentations are scheduled at this year's conference.

"This helps students be more marketable," she said. "To be successful in graduate school, students need more experience. This helps them be more competitive by the time of graduation."

The conference showcases the extent to which Southeast students engage in research in preparation for careers in higher education, graduate school and other pursuits. Experiential learning through conference presentations is a key to student success in the job market, she said.

Chris Robertson, a philosophy major from Cape Girardeau, will present a paper titled "Pragmatic Jurisprudence," and Stephen Owen, a senior criminal justice major also from Cape Girardeau, will present a paper titled "Private Prisons: Are They a Fad or the Future?"

The field of presenters at this year's interdisciplinary conference will feature students in political science, physics, psychology, biology, philosophy, agriculture, history, English, mathematics, mass communication, chemistry, computer science, human environmental studies, nursing, anthropology and criminal justice. The conference recognizes students who devote their time to research -- including theoretical, empirical and review works -- in all academic disciplines on campus, Zlokovich said.

Both undergraduate and graduate students may participate in the conference, submitting papers or posters based on research conducted at Southeast. Two electronic poster presentations have been scheduled for the conference, Zlokovich said.

While some projects submitted for the conference have been conducted independently by students, or as part of a course, others may have been conducted in collaboration with a faculty member, she said. Southeast graduates also may participate, submitting research they conducted while enrolled as students at the University.

"Best Paper" and "Best Poster" presentation awards will be given. Judging is done by a committee of three students and three faculty members.