Deadline nears for Students to Scholars Symposium ideas

Virtual events, webinars will invite exploration of topics for possible research

Before scholars can solve problems or build hypotheses, they must ask questions. And in learning, Dr. Amy Woodbury Tease says, any question, no matter how seemingly off-the-wall, deserves a hearing, and maybe, research.

So, organizers of the annual Students to Scholars Symposium have set Friday as the deadline to submit research ideas.

Students who join the Nov. 13 virtual symposium and present ideas to a faculty audience in webinars may get to explore those ideas in scholarly research (longer-term) or snag an Amazon gift card prize (short-term, almost instant).

“I would tell any student who thinks they have an idea worth pursuing to fill out an application. I guarantee that they will benefit from sharing their idea with others and gain confidence in themselves in the process.” Dr. Amy Woodbury Tease, director, Students to Scholars Symposium

But, as the lottery commercials say, you can’t win if you don’t play. Woodbury Tease said play fits; people frequently have fun feeding their curiosity and stretching their minds.

“Undergraduate Research is for everyone, but many students don’t see themselves as scholars,” Woodbury Tease, an associate professor of English and symposium director, said. “(So they) tend to shy away from exploring their ideas early in their careers because they either believe or are told that they ‘need more experience’ before they can do research.”

The symposium, entering its ninth year, will counter that notion, she said, by letting students consider how ideas might grow. On average, she said, at least half of the symposium participants go on to write successful proposals for summer research fellowships or pursue research as a faculty mentor’s apprentice. Woodbury Tease said she expects another strong interdisciplinary vibe, with students and faculty from the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Professional Schools participating.

woodbury tease min — Dr. Amy Woodbury Tease, an associate professor of English at Norwich University, describes the goals of the Students to Scholars Symposium in a recent video. (Photo from video by Ronny DiMasi.)

Intellectual energy that would have infused Kreitzberg Library during an in-person symposium will be merely transferred, Woodbury Tease said. Online pages, interactive polls and question-and-answer sessions will let student participants see peers’ ideas and comment the week of Nov. 9, building interest toward Nov. 13’s symposium webinars.

“I would tell any student who thinks they have an idea worth pursuing to fill out an application,” she said. “I guarantee that they will benefit from sharing their idea with others and gain confidence in themselves in the process.

“Plus,” she said. “participating in an event like this looks great on a résumé.”

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Students with questions on the symposium should email Dr. Amy Woodbury Tease This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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