By Steven Barker
News Editor
From March 19 through March 21, six California State University, Bakersfield students representing four different majors presented original research in the Alpha Chi National Convention held in Chicago.
While “Harmonious Hemispheres: The Nexus of Science and the Arts” was the convention’s theme, a number of papers and poster presentations spanning different topics were featured throughout the conference. Among CSUB’s participants, presentation subjects ranged from small molecule inhibitor synthesis and a transition in symbology in nursing to ageism among older women in healthcare and metapoetics in the work of poet Adrienne Rich.
For some of the students involved, participating in the Alpha Chi Convention and presenting their work to over 300 students from throughout the nation was both an appealing and rewarding experience.
“Presenting research at a national convention for such a prestigious honors society was a remarkable and rewarding opportunity that allowed us to meet and network with Alpha Chi members across the nation,” said Charmaine Parubrub, a 21-year-old senior nursing major.
Parubrub presented alongside fellow CSUB students Robyn Musick and Danica Adoc. Their presentation, entitled “Older Women’s Experiences with Ageism in Health Care,” documented the discrimination and discrepancies older women face in the healthcare system.
According to Adoc, a 22-year-old senior nursing major, their presentation sheds light on an issue in the world of contemporary healthcare.
“Older women, due to the social stigma on aging, are subjected to discriminatory experiences when it comes to accessing and receiving healthcare services,” Adoc said. “Ageism in healthcare is an issue that needs to be further addressed and more research is needed to understand the implications of this issue into nursing practice.”
Of the four presentations made by CSUB students, only Robyn Rowley’s topic ventured away from the sciences. A senior English major, Rowley’s presentation was entitled, “Re-vision and Metapoetics in Adrienne Rich’s ‘Diving into the Wreck.”
Alpha Chi is a national collegiate honors society whose membership is limited to the top 10-percent of a university’s upperclassmen and graduates. Founded in 1922, the organization now includes over 300 chapters across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Members of Alpha Chi have access to a number of scholarships, are eligible to receive discounts on automotive and traveling insurance, can submit material to exclusive publications within the organization and can purchase stoles and cords for graduation.
Sponsored by Jacquelyn Kegley, a professor of philosophy and religious studies and the director of the Hawk Honors Program, the California Iota Chapter of Alpha Chi was founded in 1998 and boasts a membership of over 1400 students.
