SYMPOSIUM 2006: Undergraduate research projects on display this week

Sessions showcase student projects from five campuses

Manure as fertilizer for corn crops — does it make any difference whether the waste comes from a rhinoceros, a zebra or a chicken? What about a really timely topic: "Suburban swimming — bacteria levels in recreational waters of Kailua."

These are among the subjects of undergraduate research that will be on display at SYMPOSIUM 2006 at UH Manoa this weekend.

This annual year-ending fair has attracted more students than ever before from five campuses in the University of Hawaiʻi system. Projects will be on display at a "poster session" Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, April 28-29, at the East-West Center‘s Keoni Auditorium.

"What started as a showcase for UH Manoa honors students has grown to include undergraduate work from several campuses," said director Jim Caron. "This year, 75 students from Manoa, UH Hilo, and Maui, Windward and Kapiʻolani community colleges will participate — representing more than two dozen different disciplines."

The event highlights the integrated research and creative endeavors of undergraduates at UH, providing students with a professional format for displaying their work. For many students, the event is a capstone experience. Participants either exhibit a poster or make an oral presentation. Students in the Manoa Undergraduate Honors Program present in both formats. Prizes are awarded for both types of presentation.

A luncheon for symposium participants on Saturday concludes the event and this year will feature a talk by Ricardo Trimillos, Professor and Interim Dean, School of Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Studies. Symposium 2006 will also feature students in the Manoa Dance Ensemble as post luncheon entertainment.

Sponsors include:
Manoa Undergraduate Honors, Space Grant Program, Marine Option Program, Marine Biology Program, Biology Program, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Global Environmental Science Program, and the English Department, along with the support of the Offices of the Manoa Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the Vice Chancellor for Research.

Program schedule:

Friday, April 28 — 2:30-4:30 p.m. -
Public viewing and judging of poster displays

Saturday, April 29 — 8:30 a.m. — Noon -
Oral presentations and poster displays

Keoni Auditorium, Immin Center
East-West Center

Following are selected titles of displays and presentations at this year‘s fair:

Arts and Humanities:

Beth Fukumoto (Manoa): "America‘s Pulpit Wars: A Comparison of the Religious Rhetoric of the Past and Present"

Gabriela Overdorff (Manoa): "Understanding Darfur: Roots, Background and the International Response"

Paul Sakuma (Manoa): "The Tattered Knight" [Japanese fantasy novel]

Social Sciences:

Faʻatu Botelho (Manoa): "Samoa‘s Matai System and an Embattled Culture‘s Survival"

Amna Fares (Manoa): "Intonation in Cairene Arabic"

Adrian Martin (Manoa): "Commercializing Culture: The Formation of Mass Food Culture in the Tokugawa Period"

Natural Science and Engineering:

Eli Bressert (Hilo): "Hitchhiker‘s Guide to Galaxy Evolution"

Jacqueline Halbrendt (Manoa): "The Effects of Exotic Animal Manures on Corn Growth: A Comparison of Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), Zebra (Equus burchelli), and Chicken (Gallus domesticus) Manures"

Katie Kamelamela (Manoa): "Suburban Swimming: What are the bacteria levels in the recreational waters of Kailua?"

Mary Wen Ying Liang (Manoa): "Intelligent Sensor Networks for Extreme Environments"

Lisa Tatsumi (Manoa): "Temporal Changes in Martian Slope Streaks"

For more information, visit: http://undergradsymposium.higp.hawaii.edu/