Celebrating
10 Years of Student-Faculty Collaboration
For
10 years, every April on a Saturday, hundreds of Smith students
step in front of an audience and present their research,
developed in collaboration with faculty members.
This year’s event, on Saturday, April 16, will feature more than 400
students giving more than 250 presentations, assisted by 129 faculty members
across all disciplines.
The Campus Center comes alive during "Celebrating Collaborations"
with science poster presentations in the morning. |
Students will present in a range
of categories, including the sciences, literature, performing
arts, sociology and language studies. The presentations represent
senior theses, independent study and research.
The day begins
at 8:30 a.m. with a science poster session in the Campus
Center, followed by a wide range of presentations in Seelye
Hall beginning at 10:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Refreshments
will accompany the poster session from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Also,
a campus-wide luncheon, accompanied by the Smith College
Jazz Ensemble, will be served at noon in Scott Gym (lunch
will not be served in campus dining rooms).
And for the first
time, a “Collaborations Recital,” at 4:15 p.m. in Sweeney
Concert Hall, Sage, will feature vocal and instrumental chamber music performed
by students and faculty, followed by a reception.
“Celebrating Collaborations” is free and open to the public.
Marie Wallace (on left) and Emily Ulrich (center) present
their research from Coral Reef Ed-Ventures at "Celebrating
Collaborations" 2010. |
For student participants in “Celebrating Collaborations,” the event
offers an opportunity to hone an invaluable skill not easily obtained. For most,
gaining comfort in giving presentations comes only from giving presentations.
In the opportunity it affords, “Celebrating Collaborations” is a unique event
within the undergraduate curriculum.
At its tenth anniversary, “Celebrating Collaborations” has
not only become a valued component of Smith’s annual academic culture, it has
also served as a model for similar events at peer institutions.
Behind the student
presentations is the cooperative guidance of faculty members.
And while some of the presentation titles reflect highly
technical subject matter, others are pertinent to modern
social, health and political issues.
Consider these titles
from the morning science poster session: “Are Cities Bad for Your Health?” a
presentation by Ella Hartenian ’11; “Effects of Deepwater Horizon Crude Oil on
Marine Life” by Emily Ulrich ’11 and Esther Hong ’14; “The Implications of Emerging
Energy Policies on the New York State Power Grid,” by Lindsay Holle ’11; and “Gendered
Boundaries in the Discipline of Engineering” by Heidi Waugh ’12J and Sophie Mettler-Grove ’13.
Afternoon sessions range across
disciplines with presentations on education, history, literature,
archival and museum studies, global studies, philosophy,
dance, economics and many other topics.
Participating students
will have opportunities to rehearse their presentations during
a series of preparatory workshops, hosted by faculty and
staff members. There they can glean methods for “Delivering Powerful
Presentations,” for example, and learn how “Practice Makes Perfect,” and to “Project
Like a Pro.” |
