The Baldwin Wallace Summer Scholars Program will be presenting their research conducted last summer and paving the way for incoming scholars to enter into the program in a “passing-the-torch” celebration. The event will be held on April 15 in Sandstone 3 from 6-7:30 p.m.
Provost Steve Stahl said the event is a time for the summer scholars to present their findings while also allowing the incoming group to interact and see what the program is about.
“It gives incoming scholars a chance to see what a final project looks like. For many of these students, they get an inkling of what they are going to accomplish, and at some level, it’s overwhelming to see the quality of work that has been done,” said Stahl.
But the previous scholars are also there to give support about the work going into the program, said Stahl.
“On the other hand, it allows them to have a conversation with the summer scholars to give them some advice to what went on,” said Stahl.
Though the intensive ten-week program begins in the summer, Stahl said the program doesn’t just end after ten weeks.
“Summer Scholar projects are not really done during the summer. They work on them over the year. Ovation is the time we expect them to share their final results,” said Stahl.
The research done has “been across the board” from science-based research to arts, said Stahl.
“The stereotype of this is that they are all science or psychology majors, but we do a very good job of getting scholars from across all the disciplines,” said Stahl. “Students develop their own plays, write their own original piece of music, study the effects of beauty on CEO pay, or the effects of prenatal hormone exposure.”
Lynn Hulthen, academic project coordinator, said that the event is not just for presenting their findings, but also a way to reconnect with their peers with whom they spent the ten weeks.
“This is the time when they are presenting their findings. It’s giving them the opportunity to present and come back together as a group,” said Hulthen. “The summer scholars establish a bond during that ten weeks on campus, so it’s fun to see them all come back together.”
This is the second year that the event will be held separately from the general Ovation presentations due to Ovation growing each year, said Hulthen.
“Summer scholars used to do their final presentations at Ovation. We would have them do a poster session in a separate room or indicate them as a special group. Because Ovation has gotten so big, we came up with the pass-the-torch event,” said Hulthen.
Stahl said changing the location of the event allows for a better celebration for the work that was done.
“By having a special event for the summer scholars, it gives the forum for them to present and also bring the new summer scholars and new faculty mentors along and make it a general celebration,” said Stahl.
The event is not only for summer scholars and their faculty advisors, said Stahl, but it is open to all students and faculty throughout campus.
“Anybody can come. It’s a good chance for students and faculty to see what students can do. It’s easy to see your peers doing well on athletic fields, in plays, in concerts, but you don’t typically get to see your peers in their scholarly pursuit,” said Stahl.
The summer scholars will present their research findings April 15 in Sandstone 3 from 6-7:30 p.m.