Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Westminster College and the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition (SRWC) will sponsor an environmental research symposium Thursday, Dec. 3, at 5:30 p.m. in rooms 150 and 166 of the Hoyt Science Resources Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The program includes a networking and poster session from 5:30-6:30 p.m. followed by student oral presentations.  Junior biochemistry major Atalie Hayes will serve as student moderator for the oral presentations.

Westminster students presenting research include:

Nathan Barefoot and Lori Katrencik will present "Analysis of De Sale Phase II: A Service Learning Project on Passive Treatment Systems."

Nicholas Divjak will present a poster on "Temporal Dynamics of Plankton Populations in Relation to Silica in a Freshwater Beaver Pond."

Linda Farnham will present "Internship at AGX, Inc. as an Industrial Hygienist/Environmental Specialist."

Michael Gess, Fred Romeo, and Cassandra Treshok will give an oral presentation on "Westminster College Greenhouse Gas Inventory."

Steven Sankey will give an oral presentation on "Nature as Viewed by the Great Chain of Being, Saint Francis, the Wanapum and Humanism and How We Must Reform Our Perception of Nature to Save the Planet."

A poster on "Keeping Cascade Environmentally Healthy" will be presented by DiAndra DiBacco, Samantha DiNardo, Sara Ergen, Stephanie Finnegan, Chelsea Mastilak, and Sean Schachner.

Katie Williams and Cassidy Wozniak will present a poster on "Water Source at Cascade Park."

In addition to those given by Westminster students, posters and presentations will be given by students from Allegheny College, St. Joseph High School, Slippery Rock High School, Slippery Rock University, and Youngstown State University.

Contact Dr. Helen Boylan, Westminster associate professor of chemistry, at (724) 946-6293 or e-mail boylanhm@westminster.edu for more information.

About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is a top tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges. Westminster ranked third among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 371 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.