From April 11-15, MU students, faculty and staff will be showcasing their latest research and creativity through all disciplines such as Psychology, Business Administration, Chemistry, History, English, Mathematics, and dozens of others.
Learning will come to life during Methodist University’s 12th annual Center for Research and Creativity (CRC) Symposium Week.
From April 11-15, MU students, faculty and staff will be showcasing their latest research and creativity through all disciplines such as Psychology, Business Administration, Chemistry, History, English, Mathematics, and dozens of others (full schedule details are shared below).
While the entire campus will focus on the students’ amazing research presentations around campus, included in the series of events is the University’s 26th B.F. Stone Lyceum, an endowed lecture series that began in 1998 with a generous gift from the estate of B.F. “Doc” Stone – a pharmacist from Elizabethtown, North Carolina, a respected and active member of the Methodist Church, and a longtime supporter of Methodist University.
This year’s B.F. Stone Lyceum will take place Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m. inside the Physician Assistant Auditorium’s Medical Lecture Hall. Admission is free and the entire public is invited.
MU’s Head of the Social Sciences Division and Psychology Professor, Dr. Mark Kline, and Senior Director for Legacy Planning and Social Work Professor, Dr. George Hendricks (pictured above), will lead a presentation titled “Who’s Gonna Carry the Boats?: Breaking Out of the ‘In Crowd’ in Service to Others.” Then, Vice President of Mission Integration & Student Well-Being and Chaplain, Rev. Kelli Taylor, along with Director of Student Belonging & Inclusion, Gavin Myrick, will provide responses to the presentation.
The lecture will breakdown the reasons why people focus on the “in crowd” during a time in which the world is divided on factors such as sex, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economics, religion, education, and wellness. The four presenters will also delve into how society can move forward from this dynamic to become more diverse individuals.
“Methodist University has overcome a major hurdle by becoming an incredible and notable example of a diverse student body,” said Kline. “The next question is paramount: What do we do with this diversity? How can we best use this situation to overcome hundreds of years of prejudice and discrimination?”
As the name indicates, this is the 26th time the University has held such an event. Previous lectures have focused on other topics such as diversity, political leaders, medicine, homelessness, Christianity, creationism and science, and more.
“Since 1997, the B.F. Stone Lyceum has tackled difficult, and challenging topics, in support of living the mission of Methodist University through the characteristics of truth, virtue, justice, and love,” said Hendricks. “The tradition will continue on Thursday night. Buckle up, I believe this Lyceum will be quite memorable.”
The Rest of CRC Symposium Week
As you might imagine, there are a variety of other events planned over the course of CRC Symposium Week.
The marquee day is Symposium Day on Wednesday, April 12, a time in which MU undergraduates receive the entire day off to either present their research and/or attend other students’ presentations. The day’s iconic poster session showcases the poster presentations of dozens of MU students at Berns Student Center from 2-3 p.m.
The full schedule is as follows (with more information on each event available on the official CRC Symposium program):
Tuesday, April 11
- Sixth Annual Nursing Research and Community Symposium (1-3 p.m., Chaffin Building)
- Revving Up STEAM Week (3:30-5:30 p.m., The Quad)
Wednesday, April 12
- Are You Booked for Breakfast? (8 a.m., Davis Memorial Library)
- Morning Presentations (9-11 a.m., Various Locations)
- CIRCUIT: Serving, Thriving, and Being Present in Costa Rica (11 a.m. – Noon, Matthews Ministry Center)
- Cape Fear New Music Festival Lectures (Noon – 1 p.m., Reeves Fine Arts Complex Chorus Room G2)
- Afternoon Presentations (1-3 p.m., Various Locations)
- Poster Session (2-3 p.m., Berns Student Center)
- University Awards Ceremony (3:30-5 p.m., Huff Concert Hall)
- Justice-Involved Scholars: When Second-Chance Students Succeed (5 p.m., Yarborough Auditorium)
- Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony (6 p.m., Physician Assistant Auditorium in the Medical Lecture Hall)
- Ninth Annual Cape Fear New Music Festival (7:30 p.m., Matthews Ministry Center)
Thursday, April 13
- STEAMing Toward Tomorrow (3:30-5:30 p.m., The Quad)
- F. Stone Lyceum (7 p.m., Physician’s Assistant Auditorium in the Medical Lecture Hall)
Friday, April 14
- Free Professional Headshots for Students (10 a.m. – Noon, Berns Student Center)
- Succ It Up and Start Your Research! (11 a.m., The Quad)
- Doctor of Occupational Therapy Pinning Ceremony for the Class of 2024 (6 p.m.)
Saturday, April 15
- Fourth Annual Occupational Therapy Student Scholarship Symposium (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Physician Assistant Auditorium in the Medical Lecture Hall)