March 30, 2006

Undergrad research to be shown

Approximately 125 undergraduate science and engineering students from six local universities will share their research discoveries with their peers as they compete for top prizes at the second annual Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium Saturday, April 1.

Students will present their research in oral or poster presentations with topics including human genetics, social psychology, nano-chemistry and biological anthropology. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., in Chicago.

The University of Chicago, Northwestern, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University, Illinois Institute of Technology and DePaul University are the six institutions involved in this collaboration. Members of the larger Chicago scientific research community also are invited to attend.

The symposium provides an excellent — and unusual — opportunity for students to learn about the research of their peers at other institutions, speak to the attending university faculty guests, interact with industry representatives and receive both wisdom and inspiration from the invited speakers.

Faculty speakers during the symposium include Steven J. Sibener, Carl William Eisendrath Professor of Chemistry at the University of Chicago and head of the James Frank Institute, delivering the opening address; Milan Mrksich, professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago, delivering the research lecture, “Living Devices: Integrating Cells with Electronics;” and Hunter O’Reilly, bioartist, Loyola University Chicago, concluding with the keynote address.

At the end of the symposium, awards will be presented for outstanding abstracts, talks and posters.

Separate from the Chicago-area symposium, Northwestern will hold the 2006 Undergraduate Research Symposium May 22 at Norris University Center. The event recognizes outstanding undergraduate research and brings it to the attention of the University community.