William Paterson University to Hold 10th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biology, Chemistry And Environmental Science on Saturday, April 9 More than one hundred fifty undergraduate science students and faculty from colleges throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania will present their research during the 10th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at William Paterson University in Wayne on Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Elizabeth Nolan, an associate professor of chemistry at MIT, will give the plenary address. Nolan, the recipient of the 2016 Eli Lilly Award in biological chemistry from the American Chemical Society's Division of Biological Chemistry, investigates the chemistry and biology of small molecules, peptides, and proteins, with a focus on human immune response, motivated by problems of infectious disease and antibiotic resistance. This special 10th year symposium, sponsored by the University’s College of Science and Health, includes morning and afternoon poster sessions from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. in the University Commons Ballroom. Posters will display student research in biochemistry, physiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, ecology and evolution, nanochemistry, and general and materials chemistry. The entries will be judged and awards will be presented to the best undergraduate poster presenters in a ceremony at 5 p.m. in the University Commons Ballroom. In addition, William Paterson alumni who have presented at past symposia will discuss the benefits of undergraduate research and its impact on future career directions during a panel presentation at 4 p.m. “We are pleased that such a large number of undergraduate students and faculty in the tri-state region will be visiting William Paterson University for this symposium,” says Kenneth Wolf, dean of the College of Science and Health. “It’s a great opportunity for students involved in scientific research to participate in this type of professional experience.” “One of the strategic directions of the College of Science and Health at William Paterson University is to increase the number of undergraduate students doing research with faculty,” says Jaishri Menon, professor of biology at William Paterson and coordinator of the symposium. “This event provides an important forum for our students, as well as students from other institutions, to present their research while interacting with other student researchers as they celebrate their educational accomplishments.” Nolan joined the MIT faculty in 2009. She has received numerous awards, including a 2010 National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award, and 2014 National Science Foundation CAREER award. She was named a Searle Scholar in 2011, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow in 2013, and a Camille Drefus Teacher-Scholar in 2014. Nolan holds a doctorate from MIT and has conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard Medical School. # # # 03/23/16
