The PennWest community is invited to visit the annual displays of student scholarship and creative achievement April 16 on the California, Clarion and Edinboro campuses.

The events are organized annually by PennWest Libraries directors Douglas Hoover (California’s Louis L. Manderino Library), Dr. Terry Latour (Clarion’s Rena M. Carlson Library) and Anthony McMullen (Edinboro’s Baron-Forness Library).

“One of the roles of the libraries is to support student learning and to help students develop critical thinking skills,” Latour said. “This type of activity helps students to do those things and gain experience sharing their knowledge with others.”

McMullen has been involved with Celebration of Scholarship for many years, first as a judge, and now, as an organizer.

“I have always seen it as a culminating event that marks the end of another academic year and celebrates student achievement,” McMullen said. “I very much enjoy having the university libraries involved, as the nature and spirit of the events mesh so well with the libraries’ core mission of promoting scholarship, learning and creativity.”

“At the California campus, the library has always had a role in graduate and undergraduate research,” Hoover said. “It is always wonderful when we get the opportunity to showcase our students’ research, creative work, theories and performances.”

Strike a Spark

Students at California will present and discuss their research, scholarship, works of creativity, and application during Strike a Spark, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Convocation Center. This year’s theme is “Reimagine, Reinvent, Renew.” President Jon Anderson will provide opening remarks.

There are 100 submissions, covering a range of posters, performances, creative works, panels and oral presentations, many involving multiple students. There are also 12 honors thesis presentations.

One hundred submissions, covering a range of posters, performances, creative works, panels and oral presentations, will be on display. Honors students will present theses during both the morning session from 9 to 10:40 a.m. and the afternoon session from 1 to 2:40 p.m. A keynote session featuring performances from the theatre department and an alumni career panel are scheduled between 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

Celebration of Scholarship

Clarion and Edinboro students will present and discuss their research, scholarship and works of creativity during Celebration of Scholarship, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 16 in Clarion’s Carlson Library, and 2 to 4:30 p.m. April 16 on the seventh floor of Edinboro’s Baron-Forness Library.

At Clarion, 16 student posters involving 34 students will be shown. Edinboro will have 18 poster presentations with 41 students participating.