By: Madison Wait
The Life of the Scholar (LOTS) Multidisciplinary Conference, Gardner-Webb’s annual showcase of undergraduate and graduate research, was held in the Ritch Banquet Hall of the Dover Campus Center on Saturday, March 19.
The event was sponsored by LOTS, an group of Gardner-Webb professors and students, the Undergraduate Research program and Gardner-Webb’s chapter of Alpha Chi. It covered a variety of disciplines from Psychology and Religious Studies, to Literature and Business.
“LOTS Multidisciplinary Conference features several kinds of academic presentations, including research papers and creative work such as musical performances,” said Dr. June Hobbs, director of Undergraduate Research and professor of English. “Last year, we had 32 presenters in 10 concurrent sessions. This year, we have 57 presenters scheduled in 18 concurrent sessions!”
According to Dr. Les Brown, a former Gardner-Webb professor of Biology and the mind behind the creation of the conference, the event is designed to promote scholarly activity and stimulate educational inquiry and discussion.
It also allows students to share their research with the community, and enhance their resumes with a professional conference credit. Additionally, “Professional presentations challenge students to hone their speaking and writing skills and their self-presentation,” said Hobbs.
Senior Taylor Schwartz, who presented her research on the difference in brain activation between different types of anxiety, has already experienced some of the benefits of participating in the LOTS Multidisciplinary Conference.
“It was an incredible opportunity to do primary research and develop my skills as an academic,” she said. “This alone is a great contribution to my graduate school applications and enabled me to stand out from others in my field.”
The event began with registration at 8 a.m., and opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. The first session started at 9 a.m., and the final session at 1:30 p.m. followed by refreshments and prizes. In addition, a special lunchtime panel presentation featured the research of the Alpha Chi Collaborative Project Team (Taylor Schwartz, Nathan Lile, Brooke Rampy, A.J. Horner and Connor Bos) on “Containing Ebola: An International Approach to Combatting an Infectious Disease Across Borders.”
“Every year we are struck by how much fun everyone has at LOTS Multidisciplinary Conference,” Hobbs shared.