**BSU’s Student Achievement Conference, originally scheduled for April 5, has been cancelled due to potentially hazardous weather conditions in Bemidji. The poster sessions and live performances may be rescheduled for an upcoming date. Look for a future announcement regarding this new date and time.**
Nearly 200 Bemidji State University students will present their academic research and creative achievements during the 24th Annual Student Achievement Conference on April 5 on campus from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
The conference – themed “Create, Innovate, Inspire” – features 65 posters and 25 oral presentations representing a wide variety of academic majors and programs, with additional students participating in invitational displays featuring design, fine arts and music.
The conference begins with a 10 a.m. opening ceremony in Beaux Arts Ballroom that will feature keynote speaker Dr. Mark Wallert, professor of biology at Bemidji State. During his 33 years as a professor, Wallert has been a partner in two biotechnology contract research organizations, DragonTech and Polar Biotechnology Solutions, as well as served as a member of the North Dakota State University Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Production. Wallert has managed over $3.1 million in funded research and education projects over his career including eight National Science Foundation and four National Institutes of Health awards.
After the opening ceremony, oral presentations will be held in Hagg-Sauer and Bridgeman Halls as well as via Zoom at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. Two poster presentations will be held, the first at 1 p.m. in Memorial Hall and an online session virtually via GatherTown at 3 p.m.
The American Indian Resource Center will hold a fry bread taco sale fundraiser between 12 – 1 p.m.
A new addition to the conference, live music performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Thompson Recital Hall in the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex.
Oral presentations include a variety of subjects including how digital experiences impact fan experiences in professional sports, habits of woodpeckers in Minnesota, the use of tanks in modern military doctrine and the importance of creative writing. 65 poster presentations explore soil changes at Itasca State Park, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the economic impact of medical malpractice laws, the use of wind energy in the United States and more.
All activities of the Student Achievement Conference are open free to the public.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
10 – 11 a.m. — Opening ceremony, Beaux Arts Ballroom and Zoom.
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. — Oral presentations, Hagg-Sauer and Bridgeman Halls and Zoom.
12 – 1 p.m. — Fry bread taco sale, American Indian Resource Center.
1 – 2 p.m. — Poster session, Memorial Hall.
2 – 3 p.m. — Oral presentations, Hagg-Sauer and Bridgeman Halls and Zoom.
3 – 4 p.m. — Online poster session, GatherTown
7:30 p.m. — Live performances, Thompson Recital Hall, Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex.
Contact
Dr. Travis Ricks, assistant professor of psychology, director of the Student Achievement Conference