Student Researchers Offer Summer Findings

Twenty student researchers, who have worked over the summer with their professors in the fields of art, biology, chemistry, physics and psychology, will present their findings on Thursday, Sept. 11, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Winter Hall Rotunda and Darling Lecture Hall. The Summer Research Celebration, co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts, is free and open to the public; please RSVP to Barb Kennedy at bkennedy@westmont.edu.

The celebration begins with a reception and poster display. Students will explain their research, which features a range of topics, including Rembrandt and the Jews in 17th century Amsterdam, the effect of drought on blood glucose levels in garter snakes, anxiety and the effect of education on older adults’ cognitive abilities and generating a DNA vaccination against herpes simplex virus 1.

A panel discussion, which begins at 4:15 p.m. in the Darling Foundation Lecture Hall, will feature professors Michael Everest (chemistry), Frank Percival (biology), Steve Contakes (chemistry), alumnus Luke Patterson ’14 and students Jacob Warren ’15 and Elizabeth Simoneit ’15.

Westmont has a long tradition of providing opportunities for students to partner with their professors on cutting-edge research.

“Just as internships in fields like business or medicine give students real-world experience that prepares them for future study or careers, research with faculty gives them a taste of collaborating with peers to solve real problems that matter to their disciplinary communities,” says Patti Hunter, vice provost and chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. “The skills they develop equip them to work in teams, talk with others about their ideas and tackle unsolved problems.”