MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Middlebury student researchers gave visitors a firsthand account of their work this summer at the 2008 Summer Research Symposium, held August 1 in McCardell Bicentennial Hall.
At one end of the floor, a student described his work on streptococcus mutans, while other students discussed factors that contribute to alcohol tolerance and consumption. Still another student is working on programming a computer to play the ancient game of “Go.” Subject matter included physics, biology, biochemistry, environmental science, geology, psychology and computer programming. In all, 40 students participated in the symposium, which included 29 poster presentations depicting their research topics. “These are student-driven projects that are investigating independent and original work,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Roger Sandwick.
Funding for the students’ research comes primarily from the Undergraduate Collaborative Research Fund. Some student projects also receive grants from outside sources such as the National Science Foundation, Vermont Genetics Network and the National Institutes of Health.
Middlebury College student research symposiums are held twice annually, and are sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Student Research.
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