MONMOUTH – Western Oregon University students from all disciplines will demonstrate their scholarly and creative activities with the first annual Academic Excellence Showcase on Wednesday, May 31. The event will be filled with more than 250 presentations, performances and poster displays.

The sessions will take place in 10 locations across campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A reception will be held at 4 p.m. in the Pacific Room of Werner University Center. Free parking will be available in lot G; look for signs.

Students across the disciplines will present research and performances. Topics will range from serious issues such as the diminishing water resources in the Klamath Basin and accuracy of age estimation in court, to light-hearted presentations on candy sharing and math, as well as readings of original poetry and a presentation of oral history with educators from WOU’s past.

“There is no better way to demonstrate the value of a Western Oregon University education than through the work of our students,” said WOU President John Minahan. “Through this year’s Academic Excellence Showcase, Western Oregon University is demonstrating that undergraduate scholarship and creativity are distinguishing characteristics of our university.”

Creative arts
Those interested in creative arts can take a stroll through campus to enjoy dance pieces choreographed by students through the Group Choreography class. Or enjoy rehearsals with WOU’s Soulstice vocal jazz choir, Chamber Singers and jazz orchestra; two honors recitals featuring a variety of instruments; and the Concert Choir performing a piece composed by WOU professor Kevin Walczyk, in honor of WOU’s 150 year anniversary. But there’s more than music – watch students demonstrate theatrical sword fighting; learn how a 20-year-old can look 60 years older on stage and explore a scale model of an Italian Renaissance pole-and-chariot scene change system.

Volcanoes
With so many volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest, many wonder when these sleeping giants will wake up and wreak havoc upon their surrounding areas. Several earth science students explored Mt. Mazama’s collapse that formed Crater Lake almost 8,000 years ago and the Big Obsidian Flow that erupted from Newberry volcano outside of Bend 1,300 years ago. Current volcanic action will also be covered including the likelihood of an eruption from Mt. Hood, volcanic hazards associated with Mt. Rainer and dome growth within Mt. St. Helens.

Klamath Basin
The Klamath Basin of northern California and southern Oregon is currently the setting for an environmental crisis of historic proportions in the United States. The crux of the problem is with diminishing water resources, too many promises for water rights and not enough supply to accommodate diverse needs. The Klamath sits at the crossroads of complex legal and scientific issues with the key players including salmon fisheries, endangered species, Native American rights, hydroelectric power generation, federal water allocation, government issues, irrigated agriculture and rapid population growth. Ten students from the Environmental Geology class will present a series of posters that summarize the current problems in the Klamath and implications for future water resource issues in the western U.S.

Memory and aging
Memory in older adults is becoming an increasing worry among the population, especially with the prevalence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Several psychology students will explore research suggesting that cognitive exercises can help delay or prevent dementia. At least two presentations will look at the relationship between memory and simultaneous physical activity.

Health and physical education
Presentations by health and physical education students cover a broad range of topics including coping with cancer and diabetes, prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome, intimate partner violence, and biomechanical analyses of both a weight lifting technique and field goal kicking. Some students will present their year-long progress with the Forgotten People and their work toward eradicating leprosy in Vietnam.

Leadership
A variety of topics and research relating to leadership will be covered in a poster presentation session. Students will discuss topics such as women in leadership, leadership styles that increase goal achievement, and influences of gender on leadership style. Other topics include spirituality and leadership and whether or not ethnicity has an impact on leadership.

Teacher education
One student will share experience in teaching forensics to high school students and ways to incorporate forensics into the physical science classroom. Other teacher education topics include an interesting look at ways to improve leadership classes in high schools, curriculum teachings students to fight against “the man” by intertwining art and politics, and a project designed to help parents build literacy with their children.

Other presentations outside of the clusters above cover a wide range of interesting topics such as whether biodiesel can work as a replacement to fossil fuels and a history of the footbinding custom in China. Those who believe major league baseball teams in smaller cities are less competitive than teams in larger cities can check out a presentation testing statistics behind that assumption. Another poster session will show comparative examinations of newspapers and magazines from the 1850s and the 20th Century, including the significant changes in punctuation demonstrated by the New York Times. Topics even stretch to the philosophical, such as whether or not one body can have multiple consciousnesses.

The Academic Excellence Showcase is organized by the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and the Program for Undergraduate Research.

This event is free and open to the public. For detailed information on sessions, times and locations please visit www.wou.edu/showcase.

Event coordinators available for interview
Bryan Dutton, associate professor of biology; 503-838-8452
Rob Winningham, associate professor of psychology; 503-838-8297

Presentation schedules and photo opportunities of items listed above. Full schedule available at www.wou.edu/showcase
Creative arts
Rose Trio dance: 10:10 – 10:20 a.m.; Maple Hall
Daydream dance: 10:30 – 10:40 a.m.; Maple Hall
Soulstice vocal jazz choir: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m.; room 108 of Smith Music Hall (SMH)
Chamber Singers: 2:15 – 3 p.m.; room 121 of SMH
Jazz orchestra: 3 – 4 p.m.; room 108 of SMH
Honors Recital I: 10 – 11:30 a.m.; room 121 of SMH
Honors Recital II: 1 – 2:15 p.m.; room 121 of SMH
Concert Choir: 12 – 12:50 p.m.; room 121 of SMH
Sword fighting: 1:45 – 2:15 p.m.; outdoor amphitheatre at Rice Auditorium
Stage make-up; 2:30 – 4 p.m.; room 113 of Rice Auditorium
Pole-and-chariot; 2:30 – 4 p.m.; room 113 of Rice Auditorium

Volcano posters
1 – 3:30 p.m.; Pacific Room of Werner University Center (WUC)

Klamath Basin posters
1 – 3:30 p.m.; Pacific Room of WUC

Memory and aging presentations
Cognitive rehabilitation: 1 – 1:15 p.m.; room 107 of Hamersly Library (HL)
Improving balance and mobility: 1:15 – 1:30 p.m.; room 107 of HL
Increasing geriatric wellness: 1:30 – 1:45 p.m.; room 107 of HL

Health and physical education presentations
Coping with cancer and diabetes: 9:30 – 9:45 a.m.; Calapooia Room of WUC
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: 9:45 – 10 a.m.; Calapooia Room
Intimate partner violence: 10:30 – 10:45 a.m.; Calapooia Room
Biomechanical analysis of the power clean: 1 – 1:15 p.m.; Calapooia Room
Biomechanical analysis of field goal kicking: 1:15 – 1:30 p.m.; Calapooia Room
Forgotten People Foundation: 3:15 – 3:30 p.m.; Calapooia Room

Leadership posters
1 – 3:30 p.m.; Pacific Room of WUC

Teacher education posters
Forensics in the physical science classroom, fighting against “the man,” and high school leadership: 1 – 2:30 p.m., room 217 of Education
Family literacy workshops: 4:30 – 7 p.m.; room 217 of Education

Biodeisel as fuel
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.; room 103 of Natural Sciences

Footbinding in China
10:30 – 10:45 a.m.; room 107 of Humanities and Social Sciences (HS)

Small market baseball
10 – 10:15 a.m.; room 103 of Oregon Military Academy

Linguistics comparison
9 – 11:30 a.m.; Pacific Room of WUC

Multiple consciousnesses
9 – 9:30 a.m.; room 237 of HS

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