Veronica Smith 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:

Veronica Smith, a senior from Plano, Ill., majoring in art history, environmental studies, and art. The research was titled Crafting a Natural Aesthetic: Embracing the Rural Cemetery in Moline, IL. I am interested in the history of Riverside Park, as well as the initial design of the space, and how that design has been modified over the past century. I have analyzed the original park design in terms of ecological viability versus aesthetic impact. Some questions that interest me in particular are whether or not William Le Baron Jenney intended the park to be an aesthetically pleasing place first and foremost, or if he attempted to craft an aesthetic appeal around the unique biological features of the location, and how Jenney's design played into the history of American cemetery and park design.

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.