Eureka!

GAMBIER, Ohio (October 20, 2004) In the world of scientific research today, "Eureka!" doesn't count for much unless you can explain it on a 32-by-40-inch poster in the form of charts, graphs, bulleted points, succinct paragraphs coherently arranged, and maybe an eye-catching color photo.

The poster session has become an integral part of the process of disseminating scientific knowledge, and this an important part of Kenyon's prestigious Summer Science Scholar program. Every summer the students "do" real science by collaborating with faculty members on cutting-edge projects, and every fall, like real scientists, the present their work in carefully crafted posters that summarize not only the experimentation but also its larger significance.

This year's poster session will take place Friday, October 22, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Gund Commons Lounge. Twenty-nine Summer Science Scholars will be on hand to answer questions about topics ranging from eating disorders to the reproductive success of bluebirds. All are welcome to attend.

At Kenyon, most of the Summer Science Scholars have learned to use the Power Point program to design their posters, which they can have printed on a single sheet using the large-format printer in the library. It makes for a professional looking presentation, which is very much to the point: the poster exercise is a key part of the students' apprenticeship in the practice of science.

"Increasingly, posters are the way that presentations are done at conferences," says Assistant Professor of Biology Wade Powell. "The poster session here is conducted in the fashion of a national meeting. We hold our students to pretty high standards."