No basketballs will be bouncing, or volleyballs set for spikes or wrestlers scoring points on takedowns and escapes, yet Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court will be buzzing with activity on Saturday morning (May 3), from 10 a.m. to noon, as Wilmington College stages its 14th annual Student and Faculty Research Forum.
Scores of individuals and teams will display their research via posters and other presentation media, transforming the normally athletics-oriented venue into a strictly academic setting. Their research projects span academic disciplines, while faculty, staff, students and members of the greater community have a chance to peruse the presentations and learn firsthand from student researchers.
Dr. Angela Mitchell, professor of business administration and associate vice president for academic affairs, is one of the Research Forum coordinators. “This event allows our students to put into practice the expertise they have developed in their academic program,” she said. “They get to apply the classroom work to real-world research questions. And through the Research Forum, they have the platform to showcase the relevance of their work to their field.”
Awards will be presented to the Best in Class for Agriculture, Business Administration/Accounting, Education, Fine Arts/Communications, Humanities, Natural Science, Social Science, Sport Sciences and Graduate Programs. Also, there will be special recognition for Best Student/Faculty Collaboration, a President’s Council Award and an Athletics Award.
PICTURED: At last year's forum, Hannah Gaines speaks about her research, “Creating a Positive Public Perception of Zoos Through Social Media,” which won the Best in Class award for Fine Arts & Communication Arts. She also presented research on "Recovery Times of Caribbean Hermit Crabs after Exposure to Perceived Predatory Scenario" for which she offered demonstrations with live crabs.