The Hook that "Turns Students On" To Science and the
Humanities
It may have been the quintessential Wabash Moment: religion major/chemistry
minor and Little Giant right tackle Nick Nussbaum teaching a Detchon
Hall classroom packed with students, professors from the sciences
and the humanities, and alumni from across the generations about
the impact of quantum physics on modern theology.
Michael
Bricker '04 chronicled the behind-the-scenes development of
costuming and set design for the College's presentation of Equus.
|
In Detchon's International Hall, Eric Fulmer rushed from a poster
session about his internship in industrial chemistry to present
a paper on "Tchaikovsky and the Question of Russian Nationalism."
Doug Lukins was constantly on the move, presenting both his exhibit
of photographs of the American West and the poster summarizing the
biochemistry research he'd begun the summer before with Assistant
Professor of Ann Taylor.
They were just three of 57 students-each sponsored and mentored
by a Wabash faculty member-teaching about their research and creative
work January 26 at the College's first Celebration of Student Research,
Scholarship, and Creative Work. Classes were cancelled for that
afternoon for the first time in 28 years, but the rate of learning
at the College may never have been higher. It was so impressive
that the faculty voted to make the Celebration an annual event.
Senior
Anand Jha of Nepal displays the teaching program for hyperbolic
geometry that he developed with mathematics professor Bob Foote.
Called Poincarre Draw II, the program is still in development
and is being tested in classrooms at Wabash. |
Associate Professor of Psychology Charlie Blaich, who with Assistant
Professor of Chemistry Scott Feller organized the event, believes
that presenting research findings to peers and professionals is
"the final hook that gets students turned on to science."
From what we saw at the Celebration, the same goes for students
in the humanities.
And they weren't the only ones hooked.
"There were so many projects and such a great variety of topics,"
Professor of Biology Aus Brooks '61 told the local newspaper. "The
quality was just very high."
"My students were already telling me about what they want
to present next year," said Professor of Political Science
Melissa Butler. "They're also saying that they need to make
the work better if they're going to present it here. This event
is raising the students' own standards, what they expect of themselves."
Click Here to Watch
a Video of the 2002 Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship,
and Creative Work (MOV, 1.2 MB)
|
