More than 195 undergraduates from the University of California, San Diego and other campuses from across the county will gather at UCSD this week to present findings from in-depth research studies they conducted individually this summer under UCSD faculty mentors - and to gain valuable scholarly experience in the process.

Students representing an interesting cross-section of academic disciplines - from astrophysics and medicine to humanities and ethnic studies - will share their results with peers and university faculty members at the 2002 UCSD Summer Research Conference, Thursday, August 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the university's Price Center, located on campus near the corner of Gilman Drive & Myers Drive.

In the process, students will learn the rudiments of what every successful scholar must master: how to present, clarify and defend professional work before peers and other professionals in a public forum. The gathering includes presentations in 29 different research categories.

Planned and coordinated by UCSD's Academic Enrichment Programs (a unit of Student Educational Advancement within the division of Student Affairs), the conference is intended to recognize the scholarly excellence of students and to serve as an important learning experience for the students as they prepare for graduate school. The conference is also intended to encourage more ethnically underrepresented and first-generation student participants from UCSD and other universities to actively pursue doctoral degrees and careers in research and college teaching.

"By participating in the conference, says David Artis, director of Academic Enrichment Programs, "students gain valuable experience in verbally and visually presenting their work in a cogent, confident and persuasive manner, and to handle questions from peers and other professionals in an equally effective manner."

As part of participating in the conference, undergraduates conducted individual research projects over eight to 10 weeks in and around San Diego under the guidance of UCSD faculty mentors. Besides UCSD, students hail from such campuses as New York University, Delaware State University, San Diego State University, Loyola Marymount, the University of Guam, University of Arizona, University of Puerto Rico, Brown University, UC Riverside, Spelman College, Hampton University, San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, University of Florida, University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University, California Polytech University, and Rutgers University.

Many of these students are contemplating attending Ph.D. programs or medical school after graduation, says Artis. "We believe the conference participants, with their talent and sincere commitment, coupled with the support and guidance they've received from faculty mentors, have what it takes to be leaders in the next generation of scientists, scholars, government leaders, and university faculty," Artis says.

"This is the 14th year we've held the conference and feel this year's students truly represent a diverse community of young scholars from a variety of outreach programs sponsored at UCSD and elsewhere and which are supported by more than a dozen local, state, and national funding sources," he continues. This support includes fellowships from the UC Office of the President, U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Students will present their research in one of 29 roundtable discussion groups during morning and afternoon conference sessions, with one or more UCSD faculty members moderating each group, says Darlene Salmon, conference coordinator. Each student will have 15 minutes to discuss his or her paper, and then answer questions from faculty.

Here are examples of research topics to be presented in various conference categories. (For a complete listing, please contact the media representative above.)

Cognitive Science & Neuroscience

*The Effect of Aging and Estrogen Deficiency on Neurodegeneration
*Learning to Share Attention Using Robotic Models

Trends in Public Health

*Struggle for Survival: Migrant Laborers Alcohol Use and Abuse
*Introducing Soy to African Americans Residing in San Diego

Chemistry & Materials Science

*Analysis of World Trade Center Sulfate Samples
Multiple Sulfur Isotope Measurements in La Jolla Aerosols

Ethnic & Cultural Studies

*Are All Asians Born to be Doctors?
*Educational Reform, Political Power and Community Resistance

Humanities & Social Science

*Judicial Interpretations: How the U.S. Courts Legitimize Employment Discrimination by Japanese Corporations in America
*Exploring the Decline in GDP Volatility: A Look at International and Regional Data

Oceanography & Marine Biology

*The Determination of the Layout and Structure of Shark's Respiratory and Circulatory Systems as it Relates to Endothermy
*Global Warming of Waters and the Effects of Abundance Levels of Deep Sea Echinoderms in North Eastern Pacific

Advances in Biology

*Mission Bay Contaminant Study - Releasing of Dye
*Influence of Queens on Intraspecific Aggression in the Invasive Argentine Ant

Advances in Medicine

*The Effect of Reading on the Vigilance of Anesthesia Providers
*Feasibility of Laparoscope Liver Rejection and the Study of Liver Regeneration

Developments in Psychiatry

*The Relationship Between Ethnicity and Gender of Students on Academic Probation
*The Association of Acculturation with Alcohol Use Among Korean and Chinese Americans

Explorations in Psychology

*The Effects of Coaching as it Relates to Performance of Standardized Tests