Student conference program provide students with open work forum
by Shehla Mohammad
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

More than 275 students from approximately 29 colleges and universities across 10 states participated in the eighth annual Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts, held at UH- Clear Lake April 17-18.

"This program provides a means for students to present their original scholarly work," said Kyna Shelley, professor of psychology and one of the senior coordinators. "It is often the first time students are presenting at a professional conference."

The first day of the conference included pasta, poetry and a presenter. Pasta was provided for student presenters and faculty sponsors, and the poetry session was in the coffee room. This day allowed the participants to get acquainted.

Presenter astronaut Lt. Col. T.J Creamer discussed the importance of creativity. Creamer said that creative people play an important part in history. He used as examples the invention of the light bulb and the activities recorded in space history.

One mission of the conference is to strengthen the role of higher education in the professional community. Networking with other students and with professionals can provide students additional opportunities.

"Students often meet faculty or other community professionals in their field and establish professional relationships," Shelley said. "In the past it has led to jobs, internship opportunities, etc."

"It is very important for students to get an idea to prepare toward their professional career," said Michael Hunt, adjunct instructor of psychology and co-founder of the conference.

The second day of the conference consisted of student oral and poster presentations and workshops. Presentations covered a wide array of topics, including environmental issues, e-commerce, architecture and therapy.

"My research is about the attitudes that people have toward people with disabilities," said Rebecca Thompson, an industrial organization psychology graduate student. "I chose to do the oral presentation, and received all kinds of feedback."

Students participated in workshops on stress management, getting into graduate school, and other professional topics.

Another mission of the conference is to enhance classroom experiences by facilitating interaction within and across disciplines.

"The unique thing about this conference is that it is interdisciplinary in that it is set up for a variety of different fields," Hunt said. "However, it encourages interaction across the disciplines."

The conference agenda changes yearly according to the needs of the students. It also provides a variety of experiences for students.

"The conference started as a student research conference and expanded to include creative arts projects in its third year," said Shelley. "Academic and career workshops were added in the fourth year, and getting new students involved as coordinators each year helps with bringing in fresh ideas."