National undergraduate research conference wraps up

06/25/2008

Faculty, administrators, policy makers and representatives of funding agencies gave the College of Saint Benedict high marks for hosting the Council on Undergraduate Research’s 12^th national conference, which concluded Tuesday, June 24.

Approximately 625 people attended the conference, which included over 200 workshops and poster presentations.

“I spoke to many attendees who remarked that this was the best conference they had ever attended,” said MaryAnn Baenninger, president of CSB. “The programs were outstanding and our staff did an amazing job welcoming all of our guests with true Benedictine hospitality.”

“The 2008 CUR Conference was a great success and demonstrated amply that CSB Campus Events can handle almost anything from 60 to 600 participants,” added Marcus Webster, director of undergraduate research at CSB and Saint John’s University. “This was historic – our first major national conference. We have plans to host more such events in the future.”

During the conference, members voted to create a division of CUR that focuses on fine arts and humanities. It continues a trend of CUR expanding its base from its origins in the sciences to include all the academic disciplines.

“This was a historic conference for CUR,” said Jeffrey Osborn, dean of the School of Science at the College of New Jersey and president of CUR, noting the high turnout of attendees, presentations and the formal inauguration of the new division.