Please read the guidelines thoroughly to help you fill out the registration form correctly and completely.
- Work with your faculty sponsor to develop your proposal. Make sure they have read and offered you their feedback before submitting.
- Proposal form coming soon.
- Enter the title of your proposal and an abstract. Examples of abstracts from previous years are available below under “Model Abstracts for Proposals.”
- Indicate technology needs: Make sure you select the equipment you will need for your presentation under “equipment needs” on the registration form. Presentation files should be PC-compatible and saved on a USB flash device or posted online where it will be accessible to you. We recommend emailing yourself the files you plan to use for your presentation.
- Submission deadline is Friday, March 1, 2024, 5 p.m.
- You will receive confirmation and your scheduled presentation time slot by Friday, March 22, 2024.
Required Information for Student Proposals
- Title of proposal is limited to a maximum of 25 words
- The abstract is limited to a maximum of 200 words
- Class standing
- Type of conference proposal
Presentation Guidelines:
- Presentations must not exceed 15 minutes, including time for questions.
- The abstract (200 words, maximum) must be submitted with your registration.
- Make sure you include the author(s) name(s) and title of the paper in the text of the abstract.
- Check appropriate boxes under “equipment needs” on the registration form.
- All presenters will be provided with a podium, computer, LED projector, screen, speakers and a Blu-ray/DVD player.
Posters
- Printed posters should not exceed 48 inches wide or 36 inches long. Albright College will provide tri-fold display boards and clips for each poster. Presenters do not need to provide anything to display their poster.
- Poster presenters must be present for the entire time their poster is displayed.
Visual Art Work (art, cinema, technology)
Students may exhibit their artistic, cinematic, graphic, commercial, industrial or technical work. Students may propose individual or cooperative exhibitions. Students must follow both the general guidelines for all visual presentations and the specific guidelines for the particular medium/format.
General Guidelines for Visual Presentations
- Submission limit is one piece of visual expression, unless the format dictates otherwise (e.g. triptych or progression).
- Make arrangements to move, install and remove your work.
- Select the appropriate box(es) under “special equipment requirements” on the proposal form.
Specific Guidelines for Two-Dimensional Work
- Prepare work for both easel presentation and hanging.
- Framed, two-dimensional work must not exceed 48 inches wide by 36 inches high.
- Email a digital image of the proposed two-dimensional visual work as a .jpg, .gif, or .tif file to hecbc@albright.edu and label the attachment with your name, your school and the medium.
Specific Guidelines for Small Three-Dimensional Work
- Three-dimensional work must be limited to a size that can be displayed on a small table.
- Email a digital image of the proposed three-dimensional visual work as a .jpg, .gif, or .tif file to HECBC@albright.edu and label the attachment with your name, your school and the medium.
Specific Guidelines for Large Three-Dimensional Work*
- Three-dimensional work must be limited to a size and weight that one average person can reasonably manipulate.
- Email a digital image of the proposed three-dimensional visual work as a .jpg, .gif, or .tif file to HECBC@albright.edu and label the attachment with your name, your school and the medium.
*Floor space for free-standing sculptures will be available on a limited basis.
Performance (original and interpretive pieces)
Dance
- Dance performances must not exceed 10 minutes.
- For sound, check the appropriate box under “equipment needs” on the registration form.
Music
- All musical instruments, including electronic equipment, must be supplied by the performers.
- Accompanists must be supplied by performer(s).
- Music performances, including set-up and tear-down, must not exceed 10 minutes.
- Check the appropriate box under “equipment needs” on the registration form.
Poetry Readings
- Poetry readings must not exceed 10 minutes.
Public Speaking
- Public speeches must not exceed 10 minutes in length.
- Check the appropriate box under “equipment needs” on the registration form.
Theatre
- Theatre performances must not exceed 10 minutes in length.
- Check the appropriate box under “equipment needs” on the registration form
Film
- Film submissions must not exceed 10 minutes in length.
- Send a URL link of your film to HECBC@albright.edu on or before March 8, 2024.
Equipment Use
Albright College will support the following equipment and technical connectivity requests:
- Internet connectivity
- Microphone
- Electric outlet
- Podium
- Projector and screen
- Sound system (for performing artists)
- Easels for 2-D artwork
- Music stands
- Display table
ADA Accommodations
Albright will provide all reasonable ADA accommodations given institutional resources and timely requests of equipment and technical support needs. Please indicate these needs on the registration form.
Students and faculty members who have questions should contact Kim Justeson at HECBC@albright.edu.
Cost
Students who attend an HECBC school — Albright College, Alvernia University, Penn State Berks, Kutztown University and Reading Area Community College — and whose faculty sponsor is from an HECBC school do not pay a registration fee.
Students who do not attend an HECBC school or whose faculty sponsor is not from an HECBC school must pay a $15 registration fee.
All students should explain their work in an abstract or descriptive paragraph that is no longer than 200 words. Some examples:
“Studying the Feasibility of Launching a Digital Wallet Product in Greece”
Alexandra Papoutsis
School: Albright College
Faculty Mentor: Professor Jayanthi Rajan
Digital wallets are a means of financial convenience in today’s technology efficient world. A digital wallet can be used as an alternative to physical money, making any transaction process quick, easy, and secure. In the past, digital wallets were questioned for their security due to their novelty. Now, digital wallets have been proven to carry less risk for the consumer, as encryption technology has advanced and become similar to that of a chip card. Our research analyzes the feasibility of launching a digital wallet in Greece, a country that appears at face value to have little capability of utilizing such products, due to their high economic instability. The following research takes into account culture, economics, and market information to evaluate a proposed international market investment, bringing Venmo to Greece. Data comes from both primary and secondary sources, including but not limited to the Central Intelligence Agency, the International Trade Administration, The New York Times, Hofstede Insights, The World Factbook, and natural Greek citizens. The findings of this study will provide insights to brands in the digital wallet industry and investors looking to provide a digital wallet to a growing economy.
“Examining the Effects of Positive Reinforcement and Positive Punishment on Adult Adaptive Behavior”
Alexis Maldonado
School: Kutztown University
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Bloh
Adaptive behavior refers to an array of skills that allow individuals to effectively interact with their environment and others. Positive reinforcement is a popular intervention to promote such skills. The current study investigated the effects of utilizing both positive reinforcement and positive punishment procedures to improve the adaptive behavior of a twenty-one year old college student. A specific organizational skill was targeted by implementing post-it notes corresponding to each procedure depending on the presence or absence of the behavior. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing both positive reinforcement and positive punishment and suggest the potential for use in other settings.
“The Rhetorical Persona — Reclaiming Plato in the Dramatic Conversation”
Zac Godwin
School: Penn State Berks
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jeanne Rose
Modern scholars of the dramatic arts characteristically emphasize Aristotle’s Poetics, a work in which a basic definition of theatre is constructed through three precepts or dramatic unities. Consequently, many drama scholars omit the work done by Plato due, in large part, to his call for artistic reform in Republic, which man scholars interpret as a rejection of drama. It is Plato’s foundation that much of modern performance rhetoric is built upon, however. Plato established character personas that have since become integrated into theatrical form. One Socratic Dialogue in particular, Gorgias, shows Plato’s complex understanding of dramatic elements in relation to his study of philosophy. Plato’s impact in contemporary drama is prevalent heavily in the creative theatrical reform present in the 20th century. Specifically, Platonic themes can be found in the character-focused meta theatre of dramatist Bertolt Brecht. In this presentation, I argue that contemporary research into dramatic rhetoric must include Plato because his malleable structure of theatre is more applicable to situations in the modern era than Aristotle’s rigid limitations. To that end, I examine Brecht’s theatre through the lens of Plato’s dialogues, making a case for identifying Plato’s lasting contribution to dramaturgy.
“Assessing Real-World Efficacy and Clinical Trial Efficacy of Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Meta- Analytic Approaches”
Erich Miller
School: Alvernia University
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Recktenwald
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric illness characterized by persistent and uncontrollable thoughts, urges, feelings, and emotions coupled with repetitive behaviors performed to eliminate obsessional distress. One first-line method of treating OCD is the use of Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI). There are 6 SSRI’s prescribed for OCD: escitalopram, citalopram, fluvoxamine, sertraline, fluoxetine and paroxetine. This study identifies the real-world efficacy (RWE) of SSRI’s as perceived by psychiatrists and compares it to meta-analyzed clinical trial data (RCT). 2757 psychiatrists were emailed a link to a five question online survey. The survey asked respondents (N=348) to identify: the SSRI medication they most commonly prescribe as a first-line treatment for OCD and the efficacy of the SSRI. Results indicate fluoxetine and sertraline are prescribed at a significantly higher rate than the other medications (p<.05), although the data also suggests there is no significant difference in the reported efficacy for each SSRI (p=.698). Meta-analysis of 21 published SSRI clinical trials (n=3,915) revealed that all the SSRI are superior to placebo in Relative Risk (RR) and Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) Outcomes ([RR]p=8.3×10-12, [ARR]p= p=1.41×10-22). RCT’s suggest there is no significant difference in efficacy among SSRI’s as shown by a test of interaction (p>.05).
“Beyond This Century”
Elizabeth Pena and Carmen Perez
School: Reading Area Community College
Faculty Mentor: Professor Joanne Schlosser
As the years go by, fashion begins to evolve and change into this more modern age in which we live. “Beyond This Century” is a new wave of everyday fashion that has evolved to include characteristics necessary for a future world; primarily illumination. Hues for this apparel include metallic royal blue with slash accents of gold. The dress sparkles when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, lighting the space and wearer with a luminous glow. This bejeweled iconic fashion was inspired by Gustav Klimt paintings of Emilie Floge and The Kiss. The design was made not only to be appealing, but also striking, from the front to the back. Beginning with a base created from ordinary mailing paper, the form was wrapped in a metallic royal blue sheath to add drama and impact, heightening its flow and dimension. The warm gold accents against the jeweled blue field oppose and enliven each other, creating the allure of beauty, like Klimt’s The Kiss. The dramatic impact of the piece is both precious and alluring!
Christopher L. Hauer