New College students shine at undergraduate conference
![Nine students were selected to make with poster presentations or 12 minute oral presentations at the COPLAC Southeastern Undergraduate Research Conference at Georgia College.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Web/New-College-News/n-z5dKVp/i-PCPVqvf/0/7eae577a/L/i-PCPVqvf-L.jpg)
Nine New College of Florida students were selected to present at The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Southeastern Undergraduate Research Conference at Georgia College April 26-27.
The conference, an interdisciplinary undergraduate liberal arts conference, provides a valuable, challenging and inspiring atmosphere to students from member schools in the Southeast. Students at COPLAC institutions have the opportunity to present the results of their undergraduate research at regional conferences where they can meet and discuss their work with peers and faculty members. Undergraduate research projects span the disciplines and afford students the prospect of intellectual engagement beyond the formal classroom setting.
New College fourth-year student Olivia Lowrey was nominated to present thesis research on the construction of perceived authenticity in ethnic tourism. With areas of concentration in economics and psychology, the topic relates to her studies at New College in a context that is personally interesting.
“Being able to explore the campus of another liberal arts college and meet with students who were equally as passionate about learning from a broad educational base helped me feel connected to a larger community, says Lowery. “Attending the COPLAC conference was definitely a memorable experience.”
For third-year student Hannah Sine, who studies philosophy at New College, the trip marked her second appearance at the COPLAC conference. This time around, she presented a term paper that she wrote in a seminar course on German philosophers Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Karl Marx.
Sine strongly believes that a New College education provides the opportunities that are not often found elsewhere.
“It is extremely inspiring that as a third-year student I have already presented original work at multiple conferences,” says Sine. “These experiences make me feel like I am taken seriously as a scholar and considered an important part of the academic community.”
The 2020 COPLAC Southeastern Regional Undergraduate Research Conference will be hosted at New College of Florida.
– Derek Devine is the social media manager at New College of Florida.