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Students present research projects at MARCUS conference
By Michelle Tillie Sanchez’08
STAFF WRITER

On Saturday, Oct. 8, the Seventh Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of Undergraduate Scholarship (MARCUS) took place at the Sweet Briar College conference center. The MARCUS Conference allowed students to present their undergraduate research through an oral or poster presentation. Poor weather and rain that day contributed to the difficulty of some students to arrive on time for registration. However, despite the rain, students still rolled out of bed, some waking up as early as 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, or driving over four hours just to attend the conference.

Sweet Briar College students who participated in Summer Honors Research were asked to present their research during the conference. The conference also included students from several different private and public colleges in Virginia, including Hampden Sydney, James Madison, University of Virginia, as well as a few students from Pennsylvania. Over 47 students registered to give oral presentations. Sweet Briar students presented nine of the 35 posters at the conference.

Topics ranged from “Chivalric Origins of the Southern Gentleman” and its influence on the VMI code of conduct to studies on the importance of grave monuments as historical and cultural records. Carlina Muglia ’07 addressed the question of whether or not a “single sex college environment reduces the negative effects of stereotype threat.” Ashley Figueiredo '08, who presented on “natural products chemistry” said, “It was beneficial to present in front of an audience. It really helped me to get a better grasp of my research.”
Students seemed to gain benefits beyond their own personal research. Erica Kennedy ’07 said, “I thought it was really beneficial for all the students because you get a better idea of what other students are doing in terms of research. It really broadens your knowledge.”

One of the highlights of the MARCUS Conference was keynote speaker Emeritus Professor James P. Wightman from Virginia Tech. He presented an address titled “Oil Films on Water Surfaces: Science, and Technology, History and Ethics.” At the conclusion of his presentation he actually demonstrated one way that oils can interact with other elements. Based on the observation of Katherine Ellis ’08, Professor Wightman “used two Pyrex baking dishes and lit a flame within each of them. He used an ether mixture to put out the flame of the first Pyrex dish. However, in order to put out the second flame, he stuck his fingers in her ears to get some earwax on his fingers. Then, he placed his fingers in the Pyrex dish while it was still on fire, and the flame went out.”

Volunteers were an important aspect to making the conference run smoothly. Seventeen students also gave up part of their Saturday to moderate and volunteer at the conference. They fulfilled a variety of roles, which included assisting with registration and moderating sessions. Volunteer Christina Johnson ’08 studied radio astronomy this past summer and is still researching the topic. She will have to present her research next fall, so volunteering has given her an opportunity to get the “lay of the land” in terms of the presentation format.

When Eleanor O'Connor ’07, a MARCUS Conference volunteer, was asked why she decided to help with the conference, she said, “I plan on writing my thesis next year and wanted to get an idea how it's run and what type of things I need to do to prepare.”

Some of the faculty volunteers who helped coordinate the conference included Julie Hemstreet, from the Honors Program, Professor Yochum and Professor Granger.