WVU to hold McNair Scholars conference Saturday

March 27th, 2006

Some of the best and brightest college students in the region will gather at West Virginia University Saturday, April 1, to present their undergraduate research, ranging from a study of stereotypes of blacks in advertising to an analysis of the effects of therapeutic massage on stress levels.

The presentations are part of a WVU McNair Scholar Conference that features 20 young minds from Concord University , Indiana University of Pennsylvania , Ohio University and WVU .

The public is invited to attend Saturday’s sessions from 10:30 a.m.-2:35 p.m. in the Mountainlair. For a detailed schedule, go tohttp://www.wvu.edu/~mcnair/.

Not only will this conference help all presenters to sharpen their oral presentation skills, but it also provides students an opportunity to network and share their research findings with McNair students from other campuses,said Betty Mei, program coordinator.It also provides an educational experience and preparation for post-baccalaureate endeavors.

In addition, conference attendees will have a chance to learn about graduate school opportunities while exploring the WVU campus.

The following WVU students are participating:

  • Joshua Austin (McNair Scholar), political science,The Influence of Armed Conflict and the Cold War on State Supreme Court Decisions Involving Eminent Domain
  • Leilani T. Browning (McNair Scholar), multidisciplinary studies,The Canary in the Coal MineOral Health in West Virginia
  • Damien Clement (minority doctoral student), sport and exercise psychology,Diversity Training in Graduate Sport Psychology Programs: A Survey of Students’Perceptions
  • James F. Greene (McNair Scholar), journalism,Religious Socialization and Its Effect on Lifestyle Choices
  • Maximo Martinez (minority doctoral student), political science,Implication of DR-CAFTA on Central American Migration
  • Greta Martin (McNair Scholar), social work,Students’Attitudes Towards Their
  • Expectations and Experiences at West Virginia University’s International House
  • Katrina McCoy (McNair Scholar), psychology,Criminal Thinking Style and Self-Injurious Behavior among College Students
  • Ryan Scott (McNair Scholar), communication studies,The Correlation Between the Media and Alcoholic Effects
  • Renee Stasko (McNair Scholar), psychology and biology,Examining Posttraumatic Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Foster Children
  • Heather Washington (McNair Scholar), criminology and investigations,African-American Male Incarceration: How Does It Contribute to the Deterioration of African-American Families?
  • Jason Wilkinson (McNair Scholar), history and anthropology,Herodotus and the Archeological Record

For more information about the conference, contact the WVU McNair Scholars Program at 304-293-4316 or angela.derk@mail.wvu.edu .

Named after physicist and space shuttle Challenger astronaut Ronald E. McNair, the McNair Scholars Program is for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students from all disciplines. Scholars take part in an intensive program that combines scholarly research, faculty mentors and graduate school preparation.