The University of the Virgin Islands' 12th Annual Fall Student Research Symposium will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. Forty-four student researchers, with representatives from both UVI campuses, are expected to participate in the event that will take place in the first-floor conference room of the Administration and Conference Center on the St. Thomas campus.
Sponsored by UVI's College of Science and Mathematics and the Emerging Caribbean Scientists (ECS) program, the symposium's goal is to showcase the outstanding quality and diversity of undergraduate and graduate research that UVI students have conducted over the summer and during the past year. The symposium is designed to demonstrate the importance of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and psychology oriented research to the greater University and Virgin Islands communities. "This is a chance to see UVI at its best, with students being mentored by faculty in current and cutting edge research topics. Their discoveries do, in fact, advance scientific knowledge," said Dr. Camille McKayle, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics.
Symposium presentations will explore the projects students conducted under the direction of mentors at UVI and at other universities and laboratories across the nation. Their topics include: botanical remedies; happiness and life satisfaction surveys; number theory; skin tumors; HIV; seed germination; knee implant performance; parasitic burden of the American eel; speed of sound theory; studies on the cognitive function in multiple sclerosis patients; and more.
Student research was conducted at UVI while students participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) and Sophomore Summer Research Institute (SSRI) programs. UVI students also conducted research at other institutions, including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Missouri, University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez, University of California-Los Angeles and San Francisco, Fort Valley State University, Cornell University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Florida, Western Michigan University, the University of Iowa, Boston University and the University of South Carolina Medical School.
Symposium presentations are evaluated for their scientific content and their clarity of presentation by a panel of judges from the community.
The student research training and research programs at UVI are supported by grants from many sources, including the National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program, VI-EPSCoR, the MARC and RISE programs of the National Institutes of Health, UVI's Agricultural Experiment Station, HOVENSA L.L.C. and UVI's Center for Marine and Environmental Studies. Research is also supported indirectly by grants which fund scientific research for faculty members who mentor students. General support is also provided by UVI's College of Science and Mathematics.
The College of Science and Mathematics is actively seeking funding for programs that help attract and retain more student talent. The biggest need is for funds to support research and scholarships for students with interests in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Persons interested in sponsoring UVI's Research Symposium program should call the Emerging Caribbean Scientists Program office at (340) 693-1397 or send e-mail to awright@uvi.edu. Additional information is available at the Emerging Caribbean Scientists program web site - http://ecs.uvi.edu.