More than 400 Participate in First Undergraduate Scholars Conference; Award Winners Announced

April 5, 2006

More than 400 members of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania community were part of IUP’s first Undergraduate Scholars Conference held April 4.

The program featured more than 325 undergraduate students from all disciplines. They presented original research, music performance, artwork and posters. A total of $1,300 in prizes were presented to students for best paper and posters.

The following students were recognized (list includes winners, department affiliation and advisors).

• Best Paper Award ($300), Stephanie Perkovich, Factoring Finance Into Film: A Study of Box Office Revenue in the Motion Picture Industry; Economics Department; Dr. James Jozefowicz, faculty advisor.

• Honorable Mention: Paper Award ($100), Sharon Layton (IUP McNair Scholar), The Effects of Multiple Method Learning in Secondary Language Acquisition; Psychology Department; Dr. Kimberely Husenits, faculty advisor.

• Honorable Mention: Paper Award ($100), Gina Russo, The Presentation of Ritualistic Hunting of the Qianlong Emperor through Painting; History Department; Dr. Alan Baumler, faculty advisor. Russo is IUP’s 2006 Phi Kappa Phi study abroad scholarship winner.

• Best Poster Award ($300): Stereotype Threat Increases Bias in the Police Officers' Dilemma Task, Sheila Ayebo, Jeff Boarts, Patrick Clark, Amanda Craig, Courtney Driskel, Sarah Heck, Sarah Hogue, Rebecca Hoover, Alanna Lowe, Erin Mitchell, Karen Moser, Timothy Rainey, Pernell Taylor, Stacy Thomas and Lisa Vinnacombe; multidisciplinary; Dr. Cora Lou Sherburne, faculty advisor.

• Honorable Mention: Poster Award ($100), Effective Practices in Urban Education, Rachel Sams and Catherine Kelli Moreno, Elementary Education Department; Dr. James Gibson; faculty advisor.

• University Libraries Best Bibliography Award ($300), Whitney Hampson, "To Wives and Mothers: Let's Go Shopping!"  Consumerism and Middle-Class Women in Ladies' Home Journal, 1890-1929; History Department; Dr. Elizabeth  Ricketts, faculty advisor.

• Honorable Mention: Poster Award ($100), Development of a Peer Mentor Program as a Service Learning Requirement, Christine Coreale, Mary Anderson, Michelle Simko, Amanda Harrold, Sandra Stritmatter, Melanie Colgan, Keena Ressman, Danielle Berringer, and Kathleen Weymers; Nursing Department; Dr. Joann Thistlethwaite, faculty advisor.

The conference also included a poetry slam, a poetry reading event.

The conference was initiated by President Tony Atwater to recognize and stimulate undergraduate research and encourage all IUP students to collaborate with their peers, professors and other professionals within the university. Atwater presented opening remarks and was part of the luncheon ceremony and awards ceremony.

During the afternoon session presentations, first-year student gatherings, led by faculty from each college, were held. The First Year Experience Program is part of an ongoing effort to acclimate news students to the higher levels of intellectual exchange in a university.

The day’s events concluded with an award ceremony for outstanding student art and conference presentations. Presentation awards are based on nominations from faculty advisers.

Keynote speaker Dr. Samuel Jones of Jefferson State College delivered a motivational speech during the luncheon program for participants.

Jones, a native of Birmingham, Ala., earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University in psychology and counseling respectively. He then attended the University of Alabama where he earned two additional masters degrees and a Ph.D. in psychology. His dissertation consisted of developing an e-mail mentoring program for impoverish youth living in a rural area with college students serving as e-mail mentors.

Jones travels nationally presenting programs for students on how to succeed and reach their maximum potential. His first published book in the area of success is due out later this year. He serves an adjunct faculty at the University of Alabama, teaching race relations seminars. He also works with a program consisting of men who were recently released from prison and addicted to drugs.

Jones was selected to Who’s Who Among Outstanding Teachers of America and named Outstanding Young Man of America in 1998.

Conference planning was led by a universitywide committee of faculty and staff. The three conference co-chairs were Dr. Steven Hovan, of the Geoscience Department; Dr. Kelli Jo Kerry Moran, of the Professional Studies in Education Department, and Dr. Ramesh Soni, Interim Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies.

Several other groups, including Sigma Xi Scientific Honor Society, the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program and the IUP Robert E. Cook Honors College were involved in conference planning and programming.



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