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Friday, February 16, 2024

Westminster College will host The Great Debate II, an evening of civilized discourse featuring students from Westminster and the University of West Georgia (UWG), at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 22, in the Dietz Sullivan Room of the Hoyt Science Center.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Westminster College 2017 alumna Dr. Charissa Mikoski will discuss the pandemic’s effect on church life during a public talk at 11:40 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23, in Mueller Theater, located in McKelvey Campus Center on Westminster’s campus.

Monday, February 12, 2024

The Westminster College Symphonic Band will present a winter concert, “The Philosopher’s Stone,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in the Will W. Orr Auditorium on the College’s campus.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

High school students interested in learning more about college life are invited to attend Westminster College Discovery Day on Monday, Feb. 19.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

The Westminster College Jazz Ensemble will present its winter concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, in Berlin Lounge, located in the College’s McKelvey Campus Center.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

A Westminster College honors student used grant funding from the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research to strengthen her senior art project.

Sophia Galietta, a fine art and psychology double major from Bethel Park, Pa., used the grant to produce her work, “Nurture vs. Nature.”

Galietta used hand-building clay, underglaze and stain to create hexagonal-shaped tiles. She also used embroidery floss, fabric and hoops for embroidery pieces.

“My interest in nature has greatly influenced my research in both the discipline of art and psychology,” said Galietta. “Earning a research grant has allowed me to create a body of artwork that will be beneficial to my portfolio. I was able to experiment with different materials without adding an extra financial burden.”

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Two Westminster College students used grant funding from the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research to strengthen their individual senior art projects.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

The saying "bloom where you are planted" may have ideated from the journey of Kimberly Klappert Spead '04. The fine art/design graduate moved away from the area 17 years ago, seeking adventure in the mountain west. Today, the small business owner and entrepreneur runs a trendy full-service flower business, complete with a show-stopping mobile flower truck.

Monday, February 5, 2024

The Westminster College Planetarium will host four new shows this spring.

Two showings of “Out There” will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and Friday, Feb. 16. The audience will experience the vast array of the universe and the recently discovered planets.  With the world's most powerful telescopes, participants will explore more of what the universe has to offer. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

“Max Goes to the Moon” will be shown on Wednesday, Feb. 28, and Friday, March 15. This fun show focuses on a dog named Max and a young girl who take the first trip to the Moon since the Apollo era. Along the way they learn sophisticated science topics that are explained to kids and adults in an approachable and fun way. In the end, the travelers inspire nations of the world to come together and build a Moon colony and reflect on the beauty of Earth. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

“Totality!” will be presented on Wednesday, March 27, and Friday, April 5, in advance of a total eclipse occurring on April 8. Everyone in the continental U.S. will experience at least a partial solar eclipse on April 8, and this show will explain how eclipses happen and how to safely view these rare occurrences. The next solar eclipse to cross the U.S. is in 2045, so don’t miss this show. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

“Cosmic Mashups” will be featured on Wednesday, April 24, and Friday, May 3. This show will explore supermassive black holes and how the merging of galaxies activates galactic centers. This full-dome film was produced by Fiske Planetarium. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

All shows begin at 6 p.m. The Westminster College Planetarium is located in room 116 of the Hoyt Science Center.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Westminster College neuroscience major Taylor Harman earned a Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research grant to analyze amphetamine and nicotine use and examine how those stimulants influence anxiety in male rats.

Harman, a senior honors student from Edinburg, Pa., used the grant to fund her research project “Does Stimulus History Affect the Anxiety-Like Response to Nicotine in Male Rats?”

Harman examined how the history of amphetamine exposure can influence the anxiety-like response to nicotine in male rats.

“I was interested in studying these effects and how they relate to an ADHD model. The results of this study could be used to evaluate why individuals who have ADHD, and use amphetamine, are more likely to use nicotine and how the use of amphetamine and/or nicotine could cause anxiety-like behavior,” said Harman.

The grant enabled Harman to conduct personal research and further her education through hands-on experiences and investigation.

“Performing research has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding for how we go from a question to creating an experiment to explore the question in mind,” she said. “It has also allowed me to gain more confidence in literature review and data analyses, which will be important in medical school and as a physician to be able to read and understand new studies and treatments that are being published, as well as perform further research of my own.”

Harman's research mentor was Dr. Deanne Buffalari, associate professor of neuroscience and psychology at Westminster.

Westminster’s Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research financially supports undergraduate research through various grants aimed at either the undertaking of research and creative projects at Westminster College or the external presentation and dissemination of research and creative works at conferences.

For more information on the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research, contact director Dr. Patrick Lackey at ugresearch@westminster.edu.

For more information about the neuroscience program at Westminster, visit www.westminster.edu/neuroscience.