State grants music school funds for remodeling
Gov. John Kitzhaber on Wednesday signed into law a bill that will give the school of music $7.6 million for a massive remodeling project.
The project, which will cost $15.2 million, is aimed at eliminating overcrowding in the music school’s building, parts of which were built in 1917 to accommodate 300 students. Today, music school officials say about 2,000 students use the building, and 500 of them are music majors.
The school of music has so far raised $700,000 and hopes the state funds will compel private donors to give more to the project.
While construction plans are tentative, current drafts call for providing more classrooms, rehearsal rooms, studios, office space and a performance hall designed for modern art performances.
McNair Scholars Symposium begins today
After a summer or more spent researching a range of topics varying from mathematics to ethnic studies, a group of University students will soon have the chance to present the results of their research to the public.
Thursday kicks off the McNair Scholars Symposium, to be held in Room 184 of the Knight Law School.
The McNair Scholars Program was established to give minority students and first-generation college students a head start on preparing for graduate school.
During the academic year, students selected for the program attend workshops and classes on how to succeed in graduate school. They are also paired with faculty mentors who work with them throughout their involvement with the program.
McNair Scholars also have the opportunity to participate in a paid summer research internship in which they conduct original research on a topic related to their field of study. The annual symposium is the culmination of that internship.
Gail Unruh, the program’s coordinator, said some of the 17 students presenting began their research during the regular academic year, while others started their studies at the beginning of the summer.
Research projects covered a wide range of academic fields, including biology, mathematics, ethnic studies, political science, sociology and anthropology, he said.
In keeping with the traditional format for academic conferences, each presentation will last about 20 minutes, Unruh said, and will be followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session.
The symposium begins at 9 a.m. Thursday with a keynote speech by Knight Law School Dean Rennard Strickland, with the last scheduled presentation at 4:30 p.m. On Friday, students will present from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free and students, faculty and community members are invited to attend.