Biology research factored prominently at the Eleventh Annual UNC Pembroke Undergraduate Research and Creativity (PURC) Symposium. Two of three oral presentations (Katherine Rentschler and Cary Mundell) and more than 20 of the 70 research posters were given by Biology students. The symposium began at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, 12 April 2017, in the University Annex, with greetings from Chancellor Robin Cummings and Dr. Ryan Anderson (Director of PURC).
The Sandefur Lab had the largest showing of posters -- focused mostly on the antimicrobial properties of Lumbee medicinal plants. Students in other labs presented work in Alzheimer's Disease, box turtle ecology, genomics, ant-mite interactions, and floristics.
For many students, the PURC Symposium is a first opportunity to formally present their work and to see other students' work, and they do so in an atmosphere that is both friendly and collegial. Creative projects in the Arts and Humanities were also on display.
Biology research was funded by three UNCP programs: PURC, RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) Program, and COMPASS. Program opportunities can include faculty mentorship, workshops, travel to conferences, and preparation for graduate school. Program directors (Drs. Ryan Anderson of PURC, Bob Poage of RISE, and Maria Santisteban of COMPASS) were on hand to encourage students and to inquire about their research.
The symposium concluded after Dr. Margaret D. Bauer's keynote address at 11:30 PM. Dr. Bauer is the Rives Chair of Southern Literature and Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor, East Carolina University, and editor of the North Carolina Literary Review.
A digital program of the PURC symposium, containing the schedule and list of student presenters (and their abstracts), is available by clicking here (PDF file). High resolution photographs of the images on this page can be seen (and downloaded) by clicking on the images.
