Chemical Education Today edited by Judith A. Halstead
Association Report: CUR
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
CUR 2000: The Many Facets of Undergraduate Research The biennial Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) National Conference is designed for anyone interested in undertaking or promoting undergraduate research. It will help faculty members begin or remain active in a career that integrates teaching and research. The Many Facets of Undergraduate Research is the theme of the CUR Eighth National Conference, to be held at The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, from June 22 to 24, 2000. The three-day conference will include plenary sessions, guest speakers, dozens of interactive workshops, and two sessions in which participants present posters on any subject relevant to undergraduate research. In addition, there will be formal and informal opportunities for faculty and administrators to exchange ideas and information on issues affecting undergraduate research and science education, as well as to interact with representatives from private foundations and federal agencies.
Workshops on facilities at CUR 2000 will have as a point of reference Severance Hall, the newly renovated home of Wooster’s chemistry department.
Workshops The workshops are being organized in support of the conference theme include: Faculty Development, where needs of new, mid-career, and senior faculty are addressed; Facilities, focusing on model laboratories, funding, renovation versus new construction, and multidisciplinary buildings; Collaborations, addressing peer collaborations with industry, research universities, federal and state laboratories, REU sites, field stations, and regional college consortia. Other workshops will include “how to” sessions on applying for funding and working with undergraduates, and discipline-specific opportunities for undergraduate research and faculty development. Research Resources/Funding workshops will provide current information from funding agencies. Many new workshops covering a broad range of topics will be included this year under General Sessions on Undergraduate Research. All workshops are intended to provide time for participants to share information and have meaningful discussions. Under Interdisciplinary Research with Undergraduates there will be sessions on departmental arrangements for biochemistry programs, materials science research for undergraduates, cognitive sciences and neurobiology, and environmental science/studies programs. On the final day of the conference, a special session will be held on Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Programs with Undergraduates. Plenary Sessions The Conference will open with a plenary address by R. Stanton Hales, President of The College of Wooster, followed by an announcement of the first two CUR Fellows, a new program to recognize CUR members who have demonstrated sustained excellence in research with undergraduates. Later, 432
the two CUR Fellows will give talks describing their undergraduate research programs, to be followed by a poster session, Research with Undergraduates—Research Results. Another plenary address will be given by Cathryn A. Manduca, Coordinator of the W. M. Keck Geology Consortium at Carleton College, on Institutional Collaborations. David Benzing of Oberlin College will give the final plenary talk, Interdisciplinary Environmental Research, followed by general workshops and a special workshop on Interdisciplinary Environmental Research with Undergraduates. There will be workshops related to both Manduca’s and Benzing’s addresses. Participation Registration forms for the conference can be obtained from the Council on Undergraduate Research National Office, 734 15th Street NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20005; phone: 202/783-4810; WWW: http://www.cur.org. Completed registration forms should be received by the CUR national office by May 21, 2000. The conference will continue to offer a Child Care–CUR Kids Program for children ages 3–12. Also planned is a variety of field trips at the close of the session on Saturday afternoon. Phoebe K. Dea is in the Department of Chemistry, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041;
[email protected].
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 77 No. 4 April 2000 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
Photos by Matt Dilyard
by Phoebe K. Dea
