SUNY Oswego's 37th annual Quest symposium will welcome students, faculty and staff from across campus -- and, this year, from across the globe -- to share their research and creativity Wednesday, April 5, in Marano Campus Center and Shineman Center.

Students and faculty from China's Shanghai Normal University and Romania's Transylvania University will make research presentations, joining hundreds of Quest participants representing the college's academic departments for SUNY Oswego's annual celebration of scholarly and creative activity.

From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 5, anyone from the campus or community may attend free panels, presentations, readings, recitals, a debate, a scholarly poster session, an art showcase and much more.

Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 15, according to Denise DiRienzo, Quest coordinator and director of the college's Center for Experiential Learning.

"We are asking each department to vet and to submit their best work, just like any (academic) conference would," DiRienzo said. "Every department has conference-quality work to share. It's an opportunity for students, especially, to put their best work forward."

Rich offerings

With submissions continuing to come in, Quest 2017 opportunities so far include:

* A conference within the conference -- the fourth annual Shanghai Normal University/SUNY Oswego Student Research Conference. Ten students from the Chinese university will make presentations on business and economics, according to Richard Skolnik, dean of Oswego's School of Business. Oswego students travel to China for the weeklong conference in alternate years.

"This year we thought we'd have it during Quest so more of SUNY Oswego could participate and see the presentations," Skolnik said.

* Four students and two faculty members from Transylvania University of Brasov, Romania, will make history presentations in a session organized by Oswego history faculty member Murat Yasar.

* A debate between students in communication studies at SUNY Oswego and SUNY Brockport. Instructors Thomas Downs and Gabor Hardy are coordinating the competition.

* Presentations on U.S. policies on terrorism and technology, the abundance of microplastics in Lake Ontario forage fish, the linguistic diversity of Jews, mindfulness from a Nepalese monastery and many other topics.

* Graduate student participation will include a presentation on "Open Source Intelligence Tools and Techniques: Fighting the Fake" by Kristina Rusho. 

* A panel discussion on the Jan. 21 Women's March on Washington. Among listed participants are Marcia Burrell, chair of curriculum and instruction in the School of Education; Magdalena Rivera, student involvement coordinator; and students Janelys Pichardo and Iana Cathey.

* The annual Quest poster session, which has grown so popular the research display-and-explanation gathering will take over the Marano Campus Center arena floor for the second year.

* An art showcase, featuring outstanding work from the art department; readings by creative writing awards recipients; inductions, including the School of Business' Beta Sigma Gamma, featuring guest speaker Jennifer Shropshire, class of 1986; and much more.

Quest's sponsors include the Center for Experiential Learning, the Office of the Provost, Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

For more information including, later this month, a schedule and room assignments, visit oswego.edu/quest.