Augustana College

Josh Malone '20 of Chenoa, Ill., never imagined his Senior Inquiry research would one day be featured in The New York Times. Malone theorizes that polished stones he found in Wyoming are gastroliths (stones that animals swallow to help digestion), and that dinosaurs carried them out west from Wisconsin. The theory needs further study, but the analytical technique Malone used in his research "swings the door open for paleontologists to date other gastroliths," according to The New York Times article.

Two research students, Ali Rabeh and Matthew Tuttle-Timm, working with Dr. Nathan Frank presented a poster, "Unbound Resonance of 26F," at the American Physical Society's Division of Nuclear Physics meeting in October 2015 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition, Dr. Frank and the students are co-authors on a recently published article, "Two-neutron sequential decay of 24O."

This summer seven Augustana students are participating in full-scale scientific research projects under the guidance of their faculty advisors, gaining experience to utilize in graduate school and careers after college. Each summer research project is funded through an Augustana Summer Student Research Fellowship.

Junior Chris Saladin has been accepted at the Poggio Civitate archaeological field school in central inland Tuscany. He will be working this summer near the Commune of Murlo, about 55 miles south of Florence.

Christina Kunkel, a senior English and Communication Studies major from Peru, Ill., presented the findings from her summer research project at the recent Women & Society Conference at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The presentation was a condensed version of Kunkel's feminist media analysis on HBO's hit series, Games of Thrones, focusing on gender, femininity and power relations within the patriarchal context of the show.

This summer nine Augustana students are participating in full-scale scientific research projects under the guidance of their faculty advisors, gaining experience to utilize in graduate school and careers after college. Each summer research project is funded through an Augustana Summer Student Research Fellowship.

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:

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:

More than 75 Augustana students, including several from the local area, will share their advanced research projects on Saturday, May 8 at Augustana's 14th annual Celebration of Learning. This unique on-campus research symposium gives students an opportunity to show off their academic accomplishments to their families and friends and members of the Augustana community. Celebration participants can choose to present their research through a poster display or an oral presentation. Many students present the results of their senior inquiry project, a multiple-term research project required for most academic programs. Other students share Honors capstone projects or student-faculty research. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most of the presenters are upperclassmen.

Lisa Platt Hjelm, a '09 graduate of Augustana College, earned Honors in Psychology for her award-winning research on prejudice in education. She was the only graduate to receive this award and was recognized at the psychology honors banquet and honors convocation in May. Platt Hjelm, a double major in elementary education and psychology, investigated how students' socioeconomic class might affect teachers' behavior in the classroom. She gave participants a computerized test, where they had to make associations between words like "tardy," "well-prepared" or "cheating" and either the word "rich" or "poor." She was awarded a regional research award through Psi Chi National Honors Society in Psychology for her study. Platt Hjelm believes the psychology department helped her become a better educator by teaching her to understand the whole child. She is grateful for the department's support. "When I needed something, school related or not, someone in the psych department was always willing to listen. The faculty really felt like family." Lisa Platt Hjelm is the daughter of Gary and Christine Platt of Barrington, Illinois, and is a graduate of Barrington High School. At Augustana, Platt Hjelm was the President and publicity chair for the psychology club and the Jonquil chair for the service sorority Epsilon Sigma Alpha. She was married to Greg Hjelm shortly after graduation and is currently living in St. Charles, Illinois. She hopes to pursue her master's degree in early childhood special education. Honors in Psychology are selectively awarded to students who complete a special research project during their senior year. Professor Dr. Daniel Corts said, "Every psychology student completes an original research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Honors in Psychology is awarded to students who complete a project above and beyond what is required for the psychology major."

Countless hours of student research from all academic areas will culminate in Augustana's 13th annual Celebration of Learning on Saturday, May 9. This on-campus event will showcase a diverse collection of advanced student research projects. Celebration of Learning is a unique opportunity for students to display their academic accomplishments before their families and the Augustana community. Celebration participants can choose to share their research through oral presentations or poster displays. Many students use the Celebration to present the results of their Senior Inquiry, a multiple-term research project required for completion of many of Augustana's academic programs. These projects often reflect months of preparation and extensive collaboration between Augustana students and faculty members. Augustana librarian and event coordinator Anne Earel feels Celebration of Learning fills a gap in many students' college experiences. "Not every student will be able to go to a conference somewhere off-campus. This provides an on-campus opportunity to be part of a professional scholarship community. It's a confidence builder and something Augustana students deserve to do," she says. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most presenters are upperclassmen. However, all students are encouraged to attend the event. Earel believes it is highly valuable that younger students "see what other students are doing and get an idea of what they might be able to do, and expected to do, by their senior year."Senior Ian Fletcher, a political science and anthropology major and 2008 Celebration of Learning presenter, decided to participate in the Celebration as a way to practice his public speaking skills and share his research with his peers. Fletcher feels his experience captures the essence of Augustana's academic community. "The Celebration of Learning shows the excellent caliber of the ideas and research of a school that is not driven by 'publish or perish.' We value faculty-student cooperation along with individual exploration of the questions that are important in today's academic arena." This year's event will begin with a keynote address by Dr. Joseph Hyser, a 1999 Augustana graduate and current mentor for Augustana College's Texas Medical Center - Summer Research Internship Program. The address will be followed by two sessions of student presentations in the morning and one poster display session in the afternoon. After these sessions, guests will be encouraged to visit the Augustana College Art Museum in Centennial Hall, where senior student artists will offer walking tours of their studio art exhibitions. For more information, visit www.augustana.edu/celebrationoflearning or www.augustana.edu/celebration or contact Kamy Beattie, Director of Public Relations, at 309-794-7721 or kamybeattie@augustana.edu.