The Student Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) is an annual celebration of Carroll College students’ research. The presentations and posters presented throughout the day represent the culmination of months, and in some cases, years of dedicated work and research on behalf of the students. Entering it’s seventh year, SURF has grown from a several hour event primarily focused on the sciences to one in which over 150 posters and presentations highlight the diversity of student-driven, inquiry-oriented research being undertaken in a variety of disciplines at Carroll.
A highlight of this year’s event is the keynote address on Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m. in the Simperman/Wiegand Amphitheatre: W. M. Keck Observatory: Portal to the Universe, presented by Hilton Lewis, Director of the W.M. Keck Observatory in Waimea, Hawaii. This event is free and open to the public.
Since first light in 1993, the W. M. Keck Observatory has been the largest, most versatile, and most productive astronomical observatory among the world's optical and infrared telescopes. Hilton Lewis, appointed as Keck Observatory Director in 2014, was one of the original designers of the observatory. He participated in the introduction of some of its most advanced technologies, Including segmented primary mirrors, adaptive optics, and laser guide stars. Using these technologies and their giant light grasp, the Keck telescopes have been central to some of the most seminal discoveries of the past quarter century, including the discovery of dark energy, providing the definitive evidence of a super-massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the discovery and categorization of the first exoplanets. Hilton will share the complex engineering behind the Keck telescopes and their resulting scientific discoveries. In addition, he will tell his personal story and what he believes is critical for Keck Observatory's continued success today, tomorrow, and well into the future. Reception to follow in the Scola from 8:00–9:00 p.m.
On Friday, April 20 from 9:00–4:00 p.m., Carroll students will showcase over 150 presentations and posters featuring a very wide range of research subject matter including the West Nile virus, spiritual care in healthcare, energy alternatives, moral judgement, and the effect of music for Alzheimers’ patients, to name a few.
In conjunction with SURF, Carroll College is celebrating 40 years of the Manion Symposium, which recognizes the dedication and contributions of Professor James J. Manion, a biology professor at Carroll College from 1956-1987. Manion Symposium presentations will be held Friday, April 20, from 11–11:45 a.m. in Trinity Hall Lounge.
More details on the festival including the program and full list of SURF participants can be found on the Undergraduate Research Festival webpage of the Carroll website. The festival is free and the public is encouraged to attend.