Alumnus to speak at Shippensburg research conference
A
Shippensburg University alumnus, one of the nation’s
leading experts in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, is keynote
speaker at the university’s annual Celebration of Student Research Conference (CSRC).
Dr. William
E. Klunk, a 1978 Shippensburg graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry,
will present the main address at 7 p.m. April 18 in Old Main Chapel. His
program is free and open to the public, as is the research conference April 19
in the Anthony F. Ceddia Union Building.
The conference
is one of the academic highlights each spring semester. It will feature an
assortment of poster presentations, oral paper presentations, art displays and
department-sponsored sessions by students conducted in conjunction with
faculty. Previous programs featured student’s presentations on a variety of
subjects and topics, including their own laboratory research, field activities,
art projects, written works, and computer applications.
“One of the
things we hope for in higher education is that students develop sharpened
critical thinking,” said Dr. Marc Renault, associate professor of mathematics and chair of the SU Council on Student Research. “In undergraduate
research, critical thinking skills come into play.”
Through the
years, CRSC has grown in popularity with both the students and the faculty. “More
and more we are creating an atmosphere that understands that student research
is valuable,” said Renault.
Renault
said the Shippensburg University Foundation provides funds for student research
projects and those students are required to present at CRSC. “This has been
going on for many, many years, but a few years ago, we opened the door to other
students who are not funded. Since we have thrown open the door to those who
have done independent research we have enjoyed a wide surge of participation.”
For all of
the student researchers, Renault said, CRSC is an opportunity to share their
scholarly pursuits. He said that faculty often introduce the idea of
undergraduate research in their classes. “In the math department, we (the
faculty) meet and discuss ideas for student research. The faculty then bring it
up in classes and often a few weeks later, we have students who volunteer to do
research.”
Klunk
is co-director of the Alzheimer Disease Research Center at University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center and is professor of psychiatry and neurology at the
University of Pittsburgh. He is a member
of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council of the National Alzheimer’s Association
and has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters.
He is
principal investigator of several National Institutes of Health and foundation
grants and has received a MERIT Award from the National Institute on Aging. His
group’s paper on imaging the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, published in
January 2004, is the most frequently cited research paper on this disease.
More information on student research at Shippensburg is available here.
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