Stephanie Adamkiewicz participated in Celebration of Learning

2012 May 7

More than 75 Augustana students from all academic areas shared their advanced research projects on Saturday, May 5, at the Celebration of Learning. This on-campus research symposium annually gives students an opportunity to show off their academic accomplishments to their families and the Augustana community.

Among the students involved:

Stephanie Adamkiewicz, a senior from Minooka, Ill., majoring in mathematics. The research was titled Gödel's Theorem and the Nature of Truth. Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems changed the way mathematicians viewed even the most basic axiomatic systems. The first theorem very basically states that for any axiomatic system that can express number theoretic truths, there will always be statements that are true, yet not provable within that system. This then leads us to interesting philosophical questions, such as "what is the nature of truth?" We will take a deeper look into Gödel's theorems, their historical significance, and-most importantly-how they interact with a multitude of philosophical theories of truth.

Celebration participants presented their research through a poster display or an oral presentation. Many students expounded on the results of their Senior Inquiry, a multiple-term research project required for most academic programs. Other students shared honors capstone projects or student-faculty research findings. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most of the presenters are upperclass students.

Anne Earel and Stefanie Bluemle, Augustana reference librarians and the event's co-directors, said the Celebration of Learning provided an outlet for students to showcase their accomplishments.

Presentations topics varied greatly and included anthropology, biology, physics, geography, gender studies, theater and more.