The View From Carnegie 210

The 5th Biennial Intramural Conference was last month (May 13-14). This was my second visit to the conference and there are several reasons why it is one of my favorite Allegheny events.

First, one of the main reasons I pursued a career in academia is because I love to learn...about most anything. I couldn't imagine a time in my life when I wouldn't be exploring new ideas. The Intramural Conference is THE place to continue this pursuit. During the busy school year, we have very few opportunities to come together to discuss our interests and research...and never without the looming stack of papers to grade or the lecture to finish. Having the opportunity to sit and listen to projects from Biology, History, English, Environmental Science, and Philosophy (just to name a few of the disciplines represented) is a rare treat.

Second, along with learning new ideas, the Intramural Conference is a great place to really get to know the faculty at Allegheny College. Conversations over breakfast, lunch, and dinner were just as important to building connections across disciplines as the post-presentation discussions.

Finally, the atmosphere of the conference seems to change drastically depending upon the combination of attendees. The difference in experience from my first visit to the conference to this year was dramatic...illustrating just how unique the conference can be.

Please see this year's program for a list of the presenters and a description of their talks. In addition, you can also download slides from my presentation on Modeling Psychological Science at a Liberal Arts College.