The 33rd annual Karen E. Wetterhahn Science Symposium will be held at the Hanover Inn on Tuesday, May 27, beginning with a keynote address by Dartmouth trustee Odette Harris '91.
A pioneering neurosurgeon, Harris is a professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she also directs the Brain Injury Program. Her research focuses on the epidemiology and outcomes of traumatic brain injury, emphasizing the delivery of neurosurgical services in underserved communities and the developing world.
"The Wetterhahn Symposium is our annual opportunity to celebrate STEM at Dartmouth and to recognize the efforts of our undergraduate researchers," says Morgan Hamilton, assistant director for Undergraduate Advising and Research.
The symposium is named for the late Karen E. Wetterhahn, a professor of chemistry who co-founded WISP at Dartmouth. Wetterhahn was a staunch proponent of women entering the sciences and is often remembered for her mentorship of female scientists.
"The symposium is Dartmouth's way of remembering her legacy," says Hamilton.
Following the keynote address, the recipients of the annual Christopher Reed Science Competition will be announced.
The floor is then opened for the student poster session from 5:30 to 7 p.m., which is open to the public. Participating undergraduates will present over 150 posters that cover a lot of academic ground, from the exploration of distant dwarf galaxies to developing new techniques in materials science to mapping wildfire pattern shifts across the American West.
"The session is always a lot of fun—not only does it prepare students to present their work to a broader audience, but it allows for a free-flowing exchange of questions and ideas," Hamilton says. "Conversations started at the symposium often continue long after the event and lead to new collaborations."
This year's symposium is sponsored by UGAR, WISP, Dartmouth NEXT, and the Class of 1976.