DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University students will present 37 projects spanning the breadth of the university’s academic disciplines and a WCSU alumna will share her experiences in the field of cognitive testing and neuropsychology at the sixth annual WestConn Research Day (WRD) on Thursday, May 13.

WRD 2010 will present a poster exhibition of research projects conducted by more than 60 WestConn undergraduate and graduate students during the current academic year. The exhibition will be open for public viewing from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Science Building Atrium on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury.

The public portion of the WRD 2010 program will begin at 2:30 p.m. in Science Building Room 125 with opening remarks by WCSU President James W. Schmotter and a keynote lecture by Rosa T. Kyek, clinical project manager at CogState Inc. Kyek, a Brookfield resident and 2006 WestConn graduate, returns as the first WRD keynote speaker who previously participated in Research Day as an undergraduate, presenting a seminar during her senior year on a project conducted under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Patricia O’Neill. She will lecture on the theme, “The Perpetual Student: College Ends, but Your Education Never Does!”

Dr. Linda Rinker, WCSU provost and vice president for academic affairs, will deliver remarks and present the annual Provost’s Prize at the WRD closing session at 5 p.m. in Science Building Room 125. The prize, funded by the Office of the Provost and awarded for an exemplary project by a student or students who will be continuing their studies at WestConn in the 2010-11 academic year, will contribute $1,000 toward student expenses for presentation of an original research project at a professional conference. Admission will be free to the WRD poster exhibition, keynote lecture and closing session.

Kyek, who holds a master’s degree in experimental psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience from Seton Hall University, travels worldwide to manage projects, train staff, and analyze statistical data for CogState Inc. The Australian-based company, which recently opened a U.S. branch office in New Haven, designs and implements software technologies for cognitive testing used in clinical trials to develop pharmaceutical treatments for a range of neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and traumatic brain injuries.

Recipient of several academic honors and achievement awards, Kyek has been invited to present her research work at international professional meetings in the fields of clinical neuropsychology and medicine, and collaborates extensively with clinical trial teams at major pharmaceutical companies. She credits her professional success to the educational foundations established in undergraduate research studies at WestConn with faculty mentors such as Professor of Psychology Dr. Mary Nelson, with whom she worked to develop a rating scale for personal identification measurement.

“The key to success is an open mind,” Kyek observed. “In any field of study, there are countless opportunities to use and expand your expertise and fulfill your goals. For me, success began as a curiosity in an intriguing subject, blossomed into a passion for research, and eventually led me to the awareness of an ambition much bigger than myself.”

A WRD seminar and luncheon at the Student Center immediately preceding the public program will feature student presentations of five projects to invited guests from WCSU faculty and staff and the Greater Danbury business and civic community. A film produced by Rosanna Bruzzi, of Danbury, will explore individual perspectives on environmental issues; David Rogers, of Danbury, will discuss the relationship between the military-industrial complex and nation-state sovereignty. “The Fallen Woman in American Literature and Culture” will be the theme of a roundtable discussion conducted by Emily Cole, of Brookfield; Chris Kobylinsky, of Gaylordsville; Curtis Wright, of West Redding; Antonio Carvalho, of Danbury; Leslie Tracey, of Cheshire; Danielle King, of Ridgefield; and Michael Robbins, of New Milford. Other seminar presentations will include projects by Derek Roy, of Danbury, and Steven Bainer, of Prospect, on measurement of college students’ political orientation; and by Anne Marie Palumbo, of Weston, Ryan Suter, of Southbury, and Paul Shupenis, of Naugatuck, on the effect of geographic location on snow crystal structure.

Research projects to be presented in the seminar and poster sessions represent nine academic departments at WCSU: biology; chemistry, communication; computer science; English; physics, astronomy and meteorology; psychology; social sciences; and world languages and literature. Projects must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser prior to submission to the WRD organizing committee for inclusion in the program.

Co-chairs of the WRD 2010 organizing committee are Dr. Susan Maskel, professor of biological and environmental sciences, and Dr. Emilio Collar, assistant professor of management information systems (MIS). Other committee members include Associate Professor of Nursing and Chair of the Nursing Department Dr. Karen Crouse, Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Samuel Lightwood, Associate Professor of Art Marjorie Portnow, Professor of Nursing Dr. Catherine Rice, and University Archivist and Special Colllections Librarian Brian Stevens.

For more information, contact Maskel at (203) 837-8799 or maskels@wcsu.edu, or the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

 

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics
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