Morningside College students will present results from more than 100 independent or classroom research projects when the college holds its 15th annual Palmer Student Research Symposium on campus on Wednesday, April 11.

Morningside College students will present results from more than 100 independent or classroom research projects when the college holds its 15th annual Palmer Student Research Symposium on campus on Wednesday, April 11.

The symposium is free and open to the public.

Throughout the day in classrooms across campus, students will share research through oral presentations, poster presentations or panel discussions. They will present research completed in a class or independent research completed with faculty supervision. There will be students representing almost every academic department on campus.

The Palmer Student Research Symposium will start at 7:45 a.m. with opening statements from William Deeds, Morningside’s provost, in the Yockey Family Community Room in the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave.

Dr. Darlene Kertes

Dr. Darlene Kertes will present the keynote speech, “The Impacts of Stress and Trauma on Human Development,” at 12:45 p.m. in UPS Auditorium in Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

Kertes will discuss international research on prenatal exposure to maternal stress and war trauma and its links to epigenetic changes, physical growth and physiological stress responses in newborn infants. Kertes is an assistant professor of psychology affiliated with the University of Florida Genetics Institute. She focuses on the antecedents and consequences of stress in health and development. She has received several nationally competitive awards to pursue her work, including awards from the National Science Foundation, Fulbright Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.

The Palmer Student Research Symposium is coordinated by students Alex Allen, Kelsey Diggins, Maddie Dotzler, Cody Hankerson, Jessy Huff, Shannon Miller, Elizabeth Roop, Allyssa Stevens and Filipe Wolff Christiano. Symposium faculty advisers are Jessica LaPaglia, assistant professor of psychology, and Kari Varner, assistant professor of nursing education.

The symposium is supported by an endowed gift from the Palmer family in honor of Edward C. and William E. Palmer.