Monday, April 16, 2007

This weekend, the Colonial Academic Alliance will highlight student scholarship during the fifth annual Undergraduate Research Conference, to be held at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, N.C., this Friday and Saturday (April 20-21).

The academic alliance was developed by the presidents and provosts of the 12 member schools of the Colonial Athletic Association to develop collaborative academic programs that benefit faculty and students. During this weekend's events, nearly 70 of the CAA's "best and brightest" will celebrate the academic strength of the conference.

"We are competitors on the field and on the court, but we're collaborators in the academic realm," said Paul Hosier, provost at UNC Wilmington, a member of the Provosts' Council of the CAA and the host of this weekend's event. "Many people are aware of the high level of athletic achievement in the conference. Through the Alliance, we're putting the spotlight on the high level of academic achievement as well."

Student research is a major area of focus for the CAA schools. Involving undergraduate students in research and scholarship provides them with invaluable experience as they work as colleagues with faculty. This research experience gives students greater academic confidence, builds connections with future mentors and academic collaborators and prepares them to meet the challenges of graduate school and professional life.

Alliance director Mary Frances Forcier noted that bringing the institutions of the CAA together creates a strong academic resource that benefits every member school and its students.

"Collectively, they comprise more than 200,000 students and nearly 10,000 full-time faculty, including four Nobel Prize-winning professors," she said. "Through the Alliance, we can leverage these strengths by developing innovative, collaborative programs that improve the quality of teaching, learning and research at each of our member institutions." In addition to undergraduate research, other areas of collaboration include student life, Study Abroad, foreign language study, and assessment of student learning.

Undergraduates from each CAA school will present their research in poster and oral-presentation sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 in the Education Building at UNC Wilmington.

Participating UNC Wilmington students include: Jennifer Kelly, T. Brian Shirey (Biological Sciences); Stephanie Salisbury (Chemistry); Rick Searcy (English); Satya Cjulla, Kris Ann Radtke, Dylan Tamer, Tyler Vail (Health and Applied Human Sciences); Jennifer Lancaster (Music); Chardon L. Groveman (Political Science); Kathryn Gallagher, Tess Nicole Young (Psychology); Danielle T. Aldrich (Sociology).

Media contacts:

Mary Frances Forcier, Colonial Academic Alliance, 703.993.4797, or Dana Fischetti, Marketing and Communications Office, UNC Wilmington, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu.