Students ready themselves for colloquium

Third-year graduate student and Ph.D. candidate Jason Howard wrote an in-depth paper in 2004 on how classicism and romanticism influenced the music of turn-of-the-century composer Claude Debussy.

After more than two years, Howard’s hard work will be recognized today when he presents it at the 21st Annual Research and Presentation Colloquium presented by the Graduate Student Senate.

Along with his speech, Howard, a music theory and composition student, is performing a piece he composed specifically for Colloquium. He recently completed the piece, titled “Indeterminacy No. 6,” and will perform it with his two siblings, Esther and Jeremy.

Titled “Worlds Apart Come Together,” the Colloquium is a chance for graduate students to share their work in their chosen studies and win cash prizes for their presentations. The event encourages the union of arts, sciences and humanities to create new ideas that mentally challenge their audience.

Edward Suarez-Moreira, the Colloquium chair of the Graduate Student Senate executive board, has worked all school-year long to plan the event. Moreira encourages all graduate students, as well as undergraduate students, to view the presentations.

“For many students,” Moreira said, “it is the first time that they are given a chance to present in a setting that emulates the professional conference atmosphere.”

Graduate students who submitted abstracts can present their work in four formats. Oral presentation and demonstration allow the student 15 minutes to present. Poster sessions and visual arts displays will be displayed all day.

Faculty judges will review the oral and poster presentations and award cash prizes to the winners.

Keynote speaker Niles Eldredge, known worldwide for his study in evolution, will give a speech titled “Darwin: Discovering the Tree of Life.”

Eldredge, along with his colleague Stephen Jay Gould, formulated the Punctuated Equilibrium evolutionary theory, which asserts that evolution continues in rapid changes amidst long periods of stasis.

“The idea is to bring someone that puts us all on common ground,” Moreira said. “We’re all interested in the evolution-creation debate. I wanted someone that attracts everyone.”

Contact graduate studies reporter Michele Roehrig at [email protected].