Wheeling Jesuit University’s annual Research & Scholarship Symposium, set for Tuesday, April 12, will showcase the scholarly work of hundreds of current students and welcome alumnus Levi Morris as its keynote speaker.
The symposium is a day for students across all majors to present research and be judged for the work they have done. The days’ events will kick off with opening ceremonies and Morris’ talk at 9 a.m. inside Troy Theater.
“This year we have about 150 students who will present original research to the judges and their fellow peers. This is the most participation we have since starting the symposium 17 years ago,” said Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, professor of psychology and director of undergraduate research at WJU.
Morris will talk about “The Role of Wheeling Jesuit in My Religious Quest.” Morris is a 2011 graduate of WJU with a degree in political and economic philosophy. After graduating, he was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania Law School and lives in Philadelphia with his wife. He works as an attorney in the corporate and securities group at the law for Dechert LLP.
After Morris’ presentation, the actual day of research presentations begin with a full schedule of both morning and afternoon expositions, which are open to the public. This includes an 12:30-2 p.m. research poster session in the Alma Grace McDonough Center, as well as a fine arts display in the Kirby Hall Art Gallery.
Undergraduates from all academic fields take part in the symposium and present their original research in both speech and poster format. Students then receive valuable feedback from faculty, students, administrators and others as they learn to defend their scholarly work.
All day and evening classes are canceled for the day to allow students to participate in all the day’s activities. The opening ceremonies will be broadcast live on wju.edu. Awards are presented at the concluding ceremony, which begins at 6:30 p.m., in Troy Theater.
The day ends with the annual competition for the Rev. Frank R. Haig, S.J. Science Award at 7 p.m., in the Acker Science Center. Five seniors will compete for the Haig Award, with the winner announced at commencement on May 7. The Haig winner receives a medal, along with $2,500 in prize money.