For Immediate Release—Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Contact:

Mary E. McCrank

Media Relations Officer

(585) 245-5516

SUNY Geneseo's G.R.E.A.T. Day to Celebrate Student Research April 17

GENESEO, N.Y.—The State University of New York at Geneseo will launch a new annual event April 17 to recognize student creativity, research and scholarship. Dubbed G.R.E.A.T. Day—Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement & Talent—the daylong celebration will showcase the work of 426 students in presentations, exhibits and performances.

The day will include 157 poster presentations, 23 pieces of artwork, two dance performances and 124 presentations grouped into 38 sessions, according to Anne E. Baldwin, director of sponsored research for the college.

Lynn Weber, director of the women's studies program and professor of sociology at the University of South Carolina, will deliver the keynote address at 1 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium titled "Through a Fly's Eyes: Addressing Diversity in our Creative, Research, and Scholarly Endeavors." Weber's research and teaching have explored the intersections of race, class, gender and sexuality for more than 20 years.

Classes will be suspended so the community can attend the presentations. All events are free and open to the public. A program is available at http://great.geneseo.edu.

"I look forward to our inaugural G.R.E.A.T. Day," said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Kate Conway-Turner. "We have a long tradition of outstanding undergraduate research and creative endeavors, and this event will allow us to celebrate the excellent work produced by our students by pausing normal activities to come together as a community of scholars."

"Our students, on graduating, compete for slots and enter some of the best and most prestigious graduate and professional programs partly due to the ways they distinguish themselves as undergraduate researchers and producers of significant creative work during their Geneseo years," said Conway-Turner.

G.R.E.A.T. Day combines the traditions of the college's Undergraduate Research Symposium, which focused on math, the sciences and social sciences, with the Humanities Undergraduate Program. The new daylong celebration of scholarship will be represented by all disciplines.

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