Morningside College students will present results from more than 100 independent or classroom research projects when the college holds the Palmer Student Research Symposium on April 13.

Morningside College students will present results from more than 100 independent or classroom research projects when the college holds its 13th annual Palmer Student Research Symposium on campus on Wednesday, April 13.

The symposium is free and open to the public.

Throughout the day in classrooms across campus, students will share research results through oral presentations, poster presentations or panel discussions. They will present research completed in a class or independent research completed under 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 Dr. William Deeds, Morningside’s provost, in the Weikert Auditorium in Buhler Rohlfs Hall, 1701 Morningside Ave.

The keynote speaker, David Thoreson, will present his speech, “New Horizons: Exploring the Edges of a Changing Planet,” at 12:45 p.m. in the UPS Auditorium of Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

Thoreson grew up in Iowa and learned to sail and love the water as a boy at Lake Okoboji. These experiences led to a life of exploration and discovery at the far reaches of the globe. His presentation combines visuals and storytelling about sailing in the ice, learning about native hunters and scientists living in the Arctic, and ultimately facing the issue of climate change.

The Palmer Student Research Symposium is coordinated by students Nick Misukanis, Kay Drenkhahn, Courtney Hoffman, Cat Boyle, Austin Naylor, Shannon Miller, Kari Miller, Paige Versluis, Kayla Samek and Cody Hankerson. Symposium faculty advisers are Dr. Jessica LaPaglia, assistant professor of psychology, and Dr. 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.

David Thoreson