Although an annual event at HC, Academic Showcase Day has a different theme every year. This year's 6th annual showcase hosted student academic research projects in topics ranging from lasers and history, to music and food.
Katie Armstong, a senior from Eaton, Colorado got the idea for her project while talking to her professor during class one day.
"I actually didn't think it was worthy of a paper. I was just talking to Dr. Perlich about the Facebook group and he was like 'Oh, you could do a study on that'οΎ… and I was hooked," Armstrong said.
Many students get the idea for presentations from a paper or project started during class. In order to be a part of ASD, students are partnered with an academic adviser to prepare their research or project. They then go through an application process before being selected. ASD began in 2004 when a student had an idea to expand the traditional Invited Faculty Lectures to include invited student lectures.
"We needed a way to showcase student research projects in a way that would benefit the community and give students the chance to prepare their work for a greater purpose," said Dr. Anne Fairbanks, a member of the ASD committee.
Alpha Chi honor society and an Academic Showcase committee sponsor ASD. The committee is made up of students and staff members who organize student speakers and presentation venues.
This year's co-chairs are Dr. Mark Hall and Dr. Dan Deffenbaugh. The student members are Rochelle Finnigan, Heidi Hullinger and Nate Mertens. Additional staff members include Robert Amyot, James Loch, Hillary Watter, Anne Fairbanks, Amber Medina and Camille Kirchoff.
The committee also brought keynote speaker Dr. Cheryl Charles to campus. Charles is president of the Children & Nature Network, a non-profit group that is dedicated to reconnecting children with the natural world. She spoke about the physical and psychological benefits of spending time outdoors.
"She did a fantastic job," Fairbanks said. "We were also pleased to see it well-attended by students and community members."
