SEMO STUDENT RESEARCH CONFERENCE THIS WEEK

Expanding learning outside the classroom is the purpose of the sixth annual Southeast Missouri State University Student Research Conference.

Student presenters who have conducted academic research at Southeast, Mineral Area Community College and Three Rivers Community College are eligible for competition during the conference, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The conference is open to the public and will be held at the University Center.

It was organized in 1993 to allow students to expand academic topics they have studied or researched during the year individually or with a faculty member. The conference promotes and recognizes research by undergraduate and graduate students in all academic disciplines, said Dr. Martha Zlokovich, Southeast assistant professor of psychology and conference committee faculty chairperson.

"It's important for students to have the experience of presenting to an audience," she said. "The conference gives them a chance to get their feet wet and try out giving a presentation, many for the first time. After learning from that experience they can later go to regional or national conferences and feel more confident to do that."

Zlokovich said presenters will speak on a variety of topics ranging from psychology and communication disorders to biology, chemistry, physics or the performing arts. The conference has experienced tremendous growth since the first event, when only eight students participated, she said.

Some 77 oral presentations are scheduled this week in addition to 15 poster presentations. Zlokovich attributed the growth to an increased need for students to have experience in making presentations.

"It's too late to start a project for a presentation senior year," she said. "A lot of jobs require you to be able to get your thoughts together and present them coherently to a group. I think the conference's growth comes from faculty encouraging students and students realizing that there's more they can do besides just go to class to further their education."

Students have more to gain than just experience by making presentations, however. At the end of the conference $50 awards will be given to the best presenters in six categories. The best research projects will be determined primarily based upon the quality of the research as described during the oral presentations. Also judged will be the quality of the presentation.

Awards will be presented in the following categories: best undergraduate theoretical paper, best graduate theoretical paper, best undergraduate empirical paper, best graduate empirical paper, best undergraduate poster, and best graduate poster.