For those of you who are still working on those novel- sized research papers, there is help this Friday when students from different classes will come together to discuss their research at Student Research conference.
The conference is held at the Newtown campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will give nearly 200 students the chance to present their semester long research as graduate students and scholars.
The conference, sponsored by the Department of Language & Literature, includes students from four academic departments – Language & Literature, Social & Behavioral Science, Arts, and Business Studies.
“ It’s a way for students to share their work beyond the classroom,” according to Dr. Charlie Groth, who is one of the conference coordinators.
“The students’ research is very interesting, and they often share it only with their professors, but at the conference, even students they don’t know get interested in their work,” said Groth, who teaches composition and literature.
“Just like in scholarly conferences, the process of getting peer feedback when you present your research orally and answer questions helps students clarify their understandings and arguments.”
New this semester is a keynote presentation by student Diane Panepresso, a liberal-arts major from Langhorne who intends to graduate next semester.  Panepresso will speak at noon in the Gallagher Room, located in the Rollins Center.
“Diane has really internalized the idea of using research skills to become a life-long learner and to make connections across disciplines,” Groth said. “For example, in a philosophy course she heard a professor’s aside about art history, which launched her own inquiry into how philosophical ideas are embedded in visual art and can be used to better understand and enjoy the art.”
The event is structured like a professional research conference. After checking in, participants break out into panels, meeting in classrooms across campus. Presenters will each offer a five-minute overview of their findings, and then discuss those findings with one another and conference attendees.
In addition to Groth, Assistant Professor Sarahlyn Bruck is also coordinating the event. The conference, which is centered in the Gallagher Room of the Rollins Center on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., is free and open to the public. More than 180 students are expected to take part. For more information, contact the Department of Language & Literature at 215-968-8150 or visit www.bucks.edu/SRC.