For Immediate Release
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4/12/2017
Suffolk to Host Research Conference, Garners Major Foundation Support
It’s a community college first.
Suffolk County Community College will be the first community college to host a SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) it was announced by Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay. In another first, McKay said, the conference has garnered the support of a major research foundation, the Swachman Diamond Project, that will provide an endowed STEM scholarship. McKay said it is rare for community colleges to be recognized by and receive the support of major research foundations.
SURC, hosted each year by a different SUNY institution, will bring together more than 1,000 undergraduate student researchers and faculty mentors from more than 25 SUNY and CUNY colleges for a full day devoted to student presentations in wide-ranging disciplines, including science, the performing arts, humanities, and others.
A luncheon will feature keynote speaker SUNY Stony Brook President Sam Stanley. SURC will also include a SUNY Graduate School and Transfer Fair, and professional development workshops for students and faculty.
“Original research and creative activity are widely recognized as
high-impact educational experiences that positively affect undergraduate
students’ completion rates, career prospects and readiness for transfer and
graduate study. Most SUNY campuses encourage research and creative activity
throughout the curriculum, in capstone experiences and/or internship
placements. This is a tremendous opportunity for all involved and we look
forward to sharing this student-focused event with you,” said President McKay.
“We are delighted to partner with the Shwachman Diamond Project to advance STEM
research”, explained Sylvia A. Diaz, Ph.D., LMSW, Executive Director of the
Suffolk Community College Foundation. “Their award provides support to
present the highly regarded SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) and
will raise awareness of Shwachman Diamond Syndrome and other rare bone marrow
failure conditions, but they went even further and made a generous gift to
permanently endow the Shwachman
Diamond Project Undergraduate Research Scholarship at Suffolk
County Community College. This scholarship will be awarded annually to
Suffolk’s promising science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
students who are engaged in scientific research.”
The Shwachman Diamond Project Ltd. was established in 2005 as a 501(c)3
charitable organization with a mission of fundraising to support research into
treatments and a potential cure for Shwachman Diamond Syndrome and other bone
marrow failure syndromes. In keeping with this mission, the organization works
to encourage cord blood collection and funds research projects related to this
area.
Since its inception, SDP
has funded many research projects, including the development of The Shwachman
Diamond Syndrome Registry at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in
Seattle, Washington.
“Suffolk County Community College has set the bar high as the first community
college to host this prestigious research conference and the first to receive
funding to offset conference costs with generous gifts from the Shwachman
Diamond Project and scientific publisher Elsevier,” explained
SURC East Coordinator Candice Foley, Ph.D., a Professor of Chemistry and STEM
Chair at Suffolk County Community College. "Moreover, another first
was achieved by securing funds to support scholarships for community college
undergraduate researchers who will continue on the successful path to discovery
at Suffolk and beyond.”
SURC is a multidisciplinary spring semester event hosted each year
by a different SUNY institution. The third annual SURC will be hosted at two
SUNY locations: SURC East at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, on
Friday April 21 and SURC West on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at SUNY Fredonia.