LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The entire Lock Haven University community will come together for the third annual Celebration of Scholarship on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. All presentations are free and open to the public.

“For many in the community, LHU is known by its public face – possibly through attendance at one of our exciting athletic events or a performance in Price Auditorium. Celebration of Scholarship provides an opportunity for our neighbors to step behind the curtain and catch a glimpse of the University’s primary mission – to develop individuals who are able to collect valuable information, carefully evaluate and add to that body of knowledge, and then present it effectively to the public,” states Dr. Matthew Girton, Associate Professor of Communication Studies.
The day will begin with the Lock Haven University Foundation awards and breakfast from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. in Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center. From 9:00 – 12:30 there will be a full slate of presentations, demonstrations, performances and recitals in various locations across campus. Of particular note in the morning session are 85 independent study projects presented by student researchers. Each student will be standing with their poster in Rogers Gym between 10:30-12:00 to discuss their project with the public. Faculty members will present some of their research efforts at the Provost’s Colloquium on Faculty Research between 9:00-12:00.
At 1:00 the campus will convene in Price Performance Center for the Gerald R. Robinson Distinguished Lecture. This year’s speaker is Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Roger Johnson; his keynote presentation is entitled “Hands.”
Another full slate of events will occur across campus from 2:30 -5:00. A highlight of the afternoon includes the 16th Annual Phi Kappa Phi Spring Student Symposium in the Hall of Flags. Additional events will take place in Raub and Ulmer Halls as well as in the Parsons Union Building. Events are scheduled in the Multipurpose Room of Parsons Union Building until 9:00 p.m.
“This is the third consecutive year that we have held our Celebration of Scholarship,” said Dr. Stephen Marvel, Professor of Biological Sciences and coordinator of the event, “each year we have seen improvement in the quality of the of the student presentations and there have been dramatic increases in the numbers of individual student research projects.”
Nearly 100 faculty and over 700 students will be participating in the 2009 Celebration of Scholarship, as they share their research and achievements in all disciplines and fields of endeavor.
Dr. Roger Johnson, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, indicated that “the Celebration of Scholarship was established to focus upon, and showcase student and faculty scholarly activities. We felt that a public event like this would help students learn in different ways as they engage in inquiry and apply critical thinking skills to situations not normally encountered in a more formal classroom.” Dr. Johnson is retiring at the end of the current academic year and he has played a pivotal role in institutionalizing the Celebration of Scholarship on the LHUP campus.
Lock Haven University President Dr. Keith T. Miller urges the community and area visitors to visit the campus and take part in the Celebration of Scholarship. He said, “I think you’ll be amazed at the range of research projects taking place here at Lock Haven University. Even if you can come by for only a short time, I am confident that you will come away entertained, informed and enlightened.” Miller added that the variety of events provides “something for everyone.”

The full schedule of events is available at http://www.lhup.edu/smarvel/Celebration/2009/2009.htm.