COLLECTION OF ARTICLES
AUTHORED BY CAMPUS STUDENTS
URJ online,
http://nk.psu.edu/Academics/43715.htm
The inaugural issue of the Penn State New Kensington Undergraduate Research Journal, a compendium of research by campus undergraduates, is available online.
"The journal highlights an impressive collection of articles authored by our students from a variety of disciplines that reflect the eclectic research being conducted on campus," said Richard Harnish, associate professor of psychology and editor of the publication."Topics range from bullying to genetics to multitasking and many other areas of inquiry."
The research projects are divided into two categories: Experimental Articles and Review/Perspective Articles. In experimental research, the student researcher actively manipulates a variable while holding all other constant to observe the consequences on a targeted or dependent variable. Experimental research is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology. For example, senior psychology major Michelle Flaherty accessed the effect of background television on tasks performed by college students.
In review/perspective research, the student researcher studies existing data and explores new findings or patterns in the data. Sophomore Zachary Mehal utilized this method in his paper, “Hematopoietic Stem Cells.”
Submitted by current students and former students from across all academic fields, and compiled by the journal's editorial board, the research undergoes a faculty peer-review process prior to publication. The blind-review process helped to ensure the highest quality standards of scholastic integrity.
The journal is published by the Chancellor's Office at Penn State New Kensington. The editorial board comprises Harnish, assistant to the editor Samantha Polons, a Chancellor Fellow and senior in the Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology program, and associate editors K. Robert Bridges, associate professor of psychology, and Robert Mathers, associate professor of chemistry. They are complemented by 13 campus faculty members who serve as consulting editors.
A reception for the published researchers will be held at noon on Monday, April 11, in the lobby of the Forum Theatre. The reception is free to the public and kicks-off the campus’ annual Research and Creative Exposition that runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, in the Athletics Center and the Conference Center.
For more information on the publication and reception, contact Harnish at rjh27@psu.edu via e-mail.
For more on the research expo, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/43707.htm online.