OSU to hold Research Week February 18-22

Friday, February 1, 2013

Oklahoma State University will hold its annual Research Week February 18-22 in Stillwater.  The event will feature a variety of speakers, symposiums, performances and presentations – all aimed at highlighting the impact of research and creative activity.

Oceanographer Robert Ballard, best known for his discovery of the sunken Titanic, headlines the week’s events.  Ballard will present “Adventures in Deep Sea Exploration:  Living the Dream” on February 20 at 7:00 pm in the Wes Watkins Center.  Ballard’s talk, which will include photos and tales from many of his expeditions, is free and open to the public.  However, seating is limited so guests should arrive early.

Other events scheduled for the week include:

• The debut of Oklahoma Voices, an original play based on the true stories of Oklahomans living in Territorial times, the Dust Bowl era, World War II and beyond.  Students dedicated an entire semester to conducting interviews and gathering first-person narratives for the production. The students split time between research, scene writing and movement in an attempt to understand how to bring the text to the stage.  Performances are scheduled for February 13-18 at 7:30 pm in the Vivia Locke Theatre at the Seretean Center for Performing Arts.

•  OSU’s Science Café featuring Dr. Stephen McKeever.  McKeever will delve into the ways research is addressing the many unanswered questions in our society.  His interactive presentation is scheduled for Monday, February 18 at 6:30 pm in the Peggy V. Helmerich Browsing Room on the 2nd floor OSU Library.     

• A panel presentation on Unmanned Aerial Systems.  UAS have a wide variety of helpful potential applications, but questions still exist about the most effective ways to develop, implement and regulate their use.  Featuring presenters from the academic, private and military sectors, this panel will address the pros and cons of this new, burgeoning field.  The panel takes place on Monday, February 18 at 2:00 pm in 408 Student Union (Case Study 1).     

Research Week will feature many other worthwhile events and activities, including the annual student Research Symposium, where student researchers from OSU and 27 other universities will present their work.  A complete list of events, along with dates, times and locations, can be found at http://researchweek.okstate.edu