This spring is the 50th anniversary of the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Research Symposium. The symposium was started by the late Dr. Richard Kowles in 1974 and remains the longest, continuously running science symposium in Minnesota. Across the years, thousands of students have presented at the Saint Mary’s science symposia, which featured many renowned scientists as keynote speakers, including Dr. Michael Osterholm (1993), Dr. Tyrone Hayes (2005) and Dr. John J. Stegeman (2010).
This year, we are excited to announce that the Richard Kowles Memorial Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Susan Galatowitsch (BA-1981), Professor of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota. As a renowned scholar and educator in the field of restoration ecology, Dr. Galatowitsch’s work embodies the legacy of the late Brother Charles Severin, who was a pioneer in ecological research and teaching, using Gilmore Creek, the Mississippi River, and the bluffs as a backdrop for field-based learning and undergraduate research.
Event Details:
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Aquinas Hall, Winona Campus
Registration closes April 5, 2023
RSVP
Tentative Event Schedule:
| 9:00 a.m. |
Networking: coffee and Bloedow’s donuts |
| 9:30 a.m. |
Welcome |
| 9:40 a.m. |
Keynote speaker |
| 11 a.m. |
Poster and oral presentations by current Saint Mary's students |
| 12:15 p.m. |
Lunch in dining hall ($11 pay at the door) |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Alumni breakout panel discussions |
| 2:45 p.m. |
Poster and oral presentations by current Saint Mary's students |
Panel Discussions:
We will also invite you to participate in an alumni breakout panel discussion on a range of topics that may appeal to current students or alumni, including:
Potential career paths with a biology degree
Alumni research activities and accomplishments
What I wished I knew then…
[Your idea here] If you have an idea for a panel topic that may inspire current science students or spark conversation among alumni science majors of decades past, let us know and we will organize it!
Help us connect with all symposia alumni:
Our ability to contact all alumni who presented at the science symposia since 1974 is limited due to outdated contact information. We do not want any of your classmates to feel left out, so please share with any undergraduate science peers you are still in touch with or ask them to update their information in the Alumni Directory.
Celebration of Scholarship:
You are welcome to attend the Celebration of Scholarship, too. On Friday the 14th, our current students will be participating in the annual Celebration of Scholarship/Research Symposium, with research presentations taking place in Aquinas Hall. We welcome and encourage you to attend!