University Communications and Marketing

MSUB student work to be showcased in Research and Creativity Conference

Fifth annual conference scheduled for Friday, April 20

University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — April 20 marks the beginning of the fifth annual Research, Creativity, and Community Involvement Conference (RCCIC) at Montana State University Billings. Nearly 130 undergraduate and graduate students will gather to showcase their hard work for all to enjoy.

This event is free and open to the public and will include diverse presentations ranging from poetry readings and Jazz concerts to the Juried Art Show. Attendees will also get to see many oral presentations covering a wide variety of topics including food insecurity at MSUB and Victorian women’s shopping.

The annual Juried Student Exhibition reception and awards ceremony will be held April 19 from 5 to 7 p.m., in the Northcutt Steele Gallery. The exhibition will remain open for viewing throughout the conference and through May 3.

According to the MSUB webpage, “Submissions were received in response to an exhibition call extended earlier this year to all students currently enrolled at MSUB and City College. The 34 artworks selected for exhibition testify to rich talents and diverse visions of MSUB students working across a range of media.”

Philip Aaberg, Grammy and Emmy nominated composer, will deliver the keynote lecture on Friday, April 20, at 12:30 p.m. in Petro Theater, located on the MSUB campus.

Aaberg, a Chester, Mont. native, is known worldwide for his compositions that reflect the beauty of the Western landscape. After graduating from Harvard, Aaberg moved to California to pursue his dream of producing music. From there he toured with The Elvin Bishop Band and Peter Gabriel, and recorded with Kenny Rodgers, the Doobie Brothers, and Vince Gill before deciding to produce his own music seriously.

His first album, titled “High Plains,” was an immediate hit both in the US and internationally. Since then, Aaberg has continued to pursue what he loves, preforming on PBS and earning several Emmy nominations.

Immediately following the keynote address, students will begin to deliver their oral presentations. They will stand next to their displays, available to discuss their projects with passing visitors.

“This conference is not a competition, but a celebration of the research and creative projects currently being carried out by MSUB students,” shared David Craig, Ph.D. “The sponsors will review all submissions and offer assistance to interested students for their presentations and posters prior to conference.”

A sampling of this year’s presentations:

• Eric Young, student of Dr. Melissa Boehm, studying the coverage of Colin Kaepernick’s NFL protest, including a textual analysis on selected sources and how their coverage shaped the story and its perception with the public.
• Tyler Shanley and Casey Reichenback, students of Andrew Sullivan at City College, designed a high-speed, color-sorting machine that is run by an industrial, programmable logic controller.
• Maria Perna, a student of Dr. Susan Gilbertz, interviewed stakeholders to gather their economic, recreational, and political concerns regarding the Yellowstone River.

To round out the evening, Philip Aaberg will be performing a concert at 7:30 p.m. in Cisel Recital Hall. Tickets may be purchased online or over the phone at 657-2046.

»» Download Student Juried Exhibition poster

»» Download Aaberg Concert poster