Friday, March 24, 2006
Undergraduate conference founded at USI returns to celebrate 25th anniversary
 The 25th annual Mid-America Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference (MAUPRC), founded at USI by Dr. Joseph J. Palladino, professor of psychology, returns to campus on Saturday, April 1, 2006.Designed to recognize and encourage research by undergraduate psychology students, the MAUPRC has become one of the oldest and most successful conferences of its kind. Palladino requested funding to establish the conference two weeks after arriving at USI in 1981. The conference was originally called the Tri-State UPRC, and Palladino hoped to attract participants from Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. The 1982 conference included participants from all three states, representing seven institutions, with 20 paper presentations. Now, the MAUPRC regularly attracts an average of 20 institutions from several states, including Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri, and students deliver 100 paper and poster presentations. Since 1990, the MAUPRC has been sponsored by a consortium of schools, including USI, Franklin College, Thomas More College, Eastern Illinois University, University of Indianapolis, and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. Palladino will present the 2006 keynote address, “Myth and Mysteries of the Humor Impaired.” “It’s based on my perception that academia in general and certainly my discipline tends to be humor-impaired,” he said. “We tend to denigrate humor in academia. We ought to know better, given the attention humor can draw to material.” Palladino teaches a course on humor. He said it is one of the few characteristics that separates us from lower animals. “One can argue that low animals are intelligent,” he said. “They certainly problem-solve, they can make tools, and some have language. One of the characteristics that separates us is laughter and humor. Why do we shy away from it?” All events for the 25th annual conference will be held on the first floor of the Liberal Arts Center. The registration fee for faculty, students, and non-presenters is $20, due by Friday, March 24. After March 24, a fee of $25 is payable at the door. The fee covers the cost of a printed copy of the conference program, continental breakfast, and lunch. For more information about the conference, go to the MAUPRC Web site. |
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