Celebrate New Knowledge and Creativity at Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference

By Erin Ryan

At Boise State, undergraduates play a prominent role in research and creative activities that contribute to scientific knowledge, enrich culture, benefit the community and have the potential to improve quality of life across the globe.

“We are fortunate to have such an impressive group of undergraduates who support our research mission,” said Vice President for Research Mark Rudin. “As Boise State continues to advance as a metropolitan research university of distinction, undergraduate research and creative activities will remain a critically important factor in our success.”

To showcase impressive undergraduate work, Boise State annually hosts the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference, a blend of podium and poster presentations, exhibitions and demonstrations. The 8th annual conference will take place from 1-4 p.m. April 11, 2011, in the Student Union Building, providing the campus and greater community a chance to meet students and learn about their meaningful explorations of everything from graphic design to cancer treatment.

Here are just a few examples of the projects that will be on display:

• Podium Presentation: April Raine in the Department of Sociology will present “Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous: Ideological Shifts in Popular Culture — Reagan Era Sitcoms and Portrayals of the Working Class.”

• Podium Presentation: Andrew LaJoie in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures will compete in the Japanese Language Speech Contest with his prepared narrative “Earthquakes of Japan.”

• Poster Presentation: Matthew Wiggs in the Department of Geosciences will present “Idaho Snowmelt Timing and the Impact on Non-Irrigated Crop Yields.”

• Poster Presentation: Paris Gaudin, Justy Thomas, Adam Wolfe, Chris Warth and John Hagedorn in the Department of Economics will present “The ‘Boise Hole’: A Peek Beyond the Wall.”

• Poster Presentation: Fernanda Battershell in the Department of Theatre Arts will present “Costume Design for a 1930s Interpretation of Macbeth.”

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Book Pick: Who Is He To You:

Simone, a shockingly beautiful teen, is on the downward spiral of destruction as she battles incest and self-hatred; she finds cutting to be the only way to relieve her pain. Jessica lives the upscale lifestyle of a refined society matron. She strives to be the perfect wife, but without her husband, Ross, she would be nothing more than the abused stripper he rescued 16 years ago. Ryan, a fiery thirty-something, is quickly slipping into depression and prescription drug-addiction as her boyfriend, Anthony, artfully dangles the empty promise of marriage. As the shattered lives of three very different women collide, they find that they have one thing in common: they are all in a desperate fight to hang on to love. But when love involves incest, self-mutilation, drug-addiction and murder, will they continue to fight or will they find the strength to escape before it’s too late? Experience their emotional journey through to the shocking end where these women will experience injury, imprisonment and even death while crafting new lives from the ashes of their ruination.

Who Is He To You