The 17th Annual
 MKN McNair Heartland Research Conference

will be held
September 20-22, 2013,

at the Marriott Country Club Plaza Hotel
45th and Main Street
in Kansas City, Missouri.

In Kansas City's historic Country Club Plaza district...
 

The McNair Heartland Research Conference offers undergraduates the opportunity to...

The conference highlights include individual student research presentations, a graduate recruitment fair, speakers and panel discussions, a pre-conference workshop on writing graduate admissions essays, and opportunities to interact with graduate school faculty and staff.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Graduate Recruitment Fair Registration, Forms, and Deadlines Abstracts and Presentations
MKN Heartland Scholarship Pre-Conference Opportunities Speakers
Conference Schedule Nearby Attractions Contact Conference Chairs

 

GRADUATE RECRUITMENT FAIR [table of contents]
     The Heartland Conference Graduate Recruitment Fair will be held on Friday evening, 7:00 - 9:00pm, September 20, 2013. Registration for graduate school representatives is done online through SurveyMonkey.

 

REGISTRATION [table of contents]
    Registration costs depend on when you register (see page one of the brochure below), but are $490-565 per person for double room occupancy and $565-605 for single room occupancy (staff only). Registration for staff and students is done by entering information into a single PDF, printing the form to a new PDF, and sending it to Jeanne Gerhard.  

The full registration fee includes:

(If you have questions about the registration form, contact Jeanne Gerhard
by e-mail at jgerhard@ksu.edu or by phone at 785-532-6137.)

CONFERENCE DEADLINES [table of contents]

    Final Registration: Friday, August 16, 2013 (register earlier for better rates -- see brochure)

    Abstracts: Friday, August 16, 2013

Cancellations must be received in writing by Friday, August 23.
 

ABSTRACTS & PRESENTATIONS [table of contents]
    McNair program staff are asked to submit abstracts for all their scholars (both oral and poster presenters) in a single MS Word file e-mailed by Friday, August 16 to Kari Azevedo, (kazevedo@ucmo.edu). Abstracts must be 250 words or less.  See the informational PDF for instructions on submitting abstracts.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS
    The time allotted for each presentation is 15 minutes. Presentations will be organized into one-hour blocks consisting of three presenters in similar areas of study (to the extent possible).  After all presenters have spoken, there will be time for questions, followed by 10 minutes of transition and set-up time between presentation groups.

There will be a PC laptop and a projector in every room, and all presenters are welcome to use them for PowerPoint.  We suggest bringing presentations on a CD-ROM and/or USB drive, because other media may not be accessible by every machine.  We are unable to guarantee that the projectors or computers will work as planned for everyone, but we will try to accommodate presenters as much as possible. 

The presentation rooms will have wireless Internet access. However, it is always a good idea to rely on the Internet as little as possible. Multimedia and other materials from the Internet can usually be downloaded to a USB drive or CD-ROM as a back-up measure, in case something goes wrong with the wi-fi connection in your room.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Scholars, please be sure to save a copy of your slideshows as a Microsoft PowerPoint 97-2003 presentation. While some laptops at the conference may have PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, some might not. Our goal is compatibility, no matter what version of Windows or PowerPoint is on the laptops. If you are using a version of PowerPoint prior to 2007, simply save your document to a flash drive or CD. If you are using PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, follow these instructions:

    1. Click on the Office Button (2007) or File tab (2010).  
    2. Move the arrow over "Save As". You will see several options. Click on
        "PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation".
    3. Navigate to the flash drive or CD you will be saving presentation to and click "Save".

POSTER PRESENTATIONS
    We are limited to 10 poster presentations. Space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Easels will be provided.
 

MKN HEARTLAND SCHOLARSHIPS [table of contents]
    MKN has established two $500 scholarships for Heartland Conference presenters.  Beginning with the 2002 conference, any student who has presented research and who is, at the time of the Heartland Conference, enrolled in a graduate program is eligible to apply for the scholarships.  Proof of having presented and graduate enrollment and must be submitted before the conference. Presenters at this year's conference will be eligible for a future scholarship.

PRE-CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITY [table of contents]

* Personal Statement Writing (Friday, 9/20, 2:00-4:00 p.m.)
    Participants in this workshop will engage in activities designed to help develop and refine their personal statements. The focus will be on helping participants present themselves positively, effectively, and accurately to the faculty assessing their graduate applications.  The workshop will be particularly valuable for participants who will be applying to graduate programs this Fall.  Participants will have the opportunity to receive individual feedback on their personal statements. Participants who have drafts of their essays are encouraged to bring them to the conference.

The workshop presenter, Michael Heppler, [see bio/photo] has extensive experience with graduate school admissions. Heppler is a former Assistant Director of Student Academic Services in the Graduate School at Oklahoma State University.

SPEAKERS [table of contents]

FRIDAY EVENING: Dr. John Augusto, Ph.D. [see full bio/photo]
    John Augusto has spent over 20 years in higher education thinking about why students go to graduate school. He has conducted research for national organizations, given numerous talks to various student organizations and met with hundreds of students on this one question: why do students go to graduate school? John will share his insight on this subject and provide students with a behind the scenes look at the world of graduate admissions.

SATURDAY BANQUET, KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Henry Jackson, Ph.D. [see full bio/photo]
    Henry Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dr. Jackson graduated from Kansas State University with a Ph.D. in Sociology in 2009, the University of Kansas with an M.P.A in 2002, and Wichita State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2000. Dr. Jackson’s research interests explore the relationship between race, class, and punishment as well as racial profiling.

SUNDAY BREAKFAST SPEAKER: To Be Announced [see photo/full bio]

   
 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (subject to change) [table of contents]

Friday, September 20, 2013
12:00pm - 4:00pm     Registration
2:00pm - 4:00pm  Workshop: Personal Statement Writing
5:00pm - 6:30pm   Welcome, Introductions, & Dinner
   Opening Speaker: Dr. John Augusto
7:00pm - 9:00pm Graduate Recruitment Fair
   Speaker on Financing Graduate School
 

Saturday, September 21, 2013

8:00am - 8:45am      Breakfast
9:00am - 9:30am      Poster Presentations
9:30am - 11:40pm      Oral Research Presentations
11:45am - 12:45pm      Lunch (w/ trivia contest)
1:00pm - 3:10pm      Oral Research Presentations
7:00pm      Banquet and Keynote Speaker: T.B.A.
After Speaker...   Entertainment on your own (see below)
 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

9:00am - 10:30am      Breakfast / Final Program
10:30am      Awarding of two $500 Heartland McNair Scholarships
11:00am   Departure
 

NEARBY KANSAS CITY AREA HIGHLIGHTS [table of contents]

* The Country Club Plaza --
An outdoor 'museum' of Spanish architecture with fountains and sculptures, as well as shopping and eating areas. The Annual Plaza Art Fair will be held here on the weekend of the 2012 Heartland Research Conference.

* The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art --
Both have free admission and are less than a half-mile from the hotel.

* Information on Blues and Jazz clubs --
World famous Kansas City Night Life!

          * Downtown Kansas City's Power and Light District --
                    A new entertainment area just a short cab ride away from the Marriott C.C. Plaza.
* The Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site --
Just over an hour from the conference hotel, the Historic Site is located at the Monroe Elementary School, which was one of the four segregated elementary schools for African-American children in Topeka, Kansas. The visual and audio displays place the struggle for equality in educational opportunity within the context of the struggle for civil rights. The site is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
[table of contents]

For more information, contact a conference co-chair:

    Dr. Kari Azevedo, McNair Scholars Program
    Humphreys 127C
    University of Central Missouri
    Warrensburg, MO 64093
    phone number: (660) 543-4135
    e-mail: kazevedo@ucmo.edu

    Shukura Bakari-Cozart, McNair Scholars Program
    1845 N. Fairmount
    Wichita State University
    Wichita, KS 67260-0199
    phone number: (316) 978-3139
    e-mail: shukura.cozart@wichita.edu

Presenter & Speaker Bio Information [table of contents]

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PRESENTER: Michael Heppler

    Michael Heppler worked in Oklahoma State University's graduate school from 1997 to 2011. In 2004 he was promoted to Director of McNair Relations as a direct result of his work with McNair Research Scholars across the country. He has traveled throughout the United States speaking to students about successful graduate school application strategies.
    He is a nationally recognized speaker on Successful Graduate/Professional School Admission Strategies. The National Society of Black Engineers, Ronald E. McNair Research Scholars, and Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program are among the list of organizations to which he has presented these strategies.
    Mr. Heppler has presented at many regional and national conferences. A few of his prior appearances are the National Society of Black Engineers Region V Conference, the University of Tennessee McNair Scholars Research Conference at the Knoxville, Tennessee, and Heartland McNair Scholars Research Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
 

 

 

FRIDAY EVENING SPEAKER: Dr. John Augusto, Ph.D.
    Dr. John Augusto has spent over 20 years in higher education thinking about why students go to graduate school. He has conducted research for national organizations, given numerous talks to various student organizations and met with hundreds of students on this one question: why do students go to graduate school? John will share his insight on this subject and provide students with a behind the scenes look at the world of graduate admissions. John earned his PhD from the University of Kansas and currently works at KU as Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research.
 

 

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Henry Jackson, Ph.D.
    Dr. Henry Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dr. Jackson graduated from Kansas State University with a Ph.D. in Sociology in 2009, the University of Kansas with an M.P.A in 2002, and Wichita State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2000. Dr. Jackson’s research interests explore the relationship between race, class, and punishment as well as racial profiling. Dr. Jackson’s work appears in Justice and Research Policy, The National McNair Scholars Journal, and Crime and Justice in America with a forthcoming article in the Journal of Black Studies.
    Previously, Dr. Jackson worked in City Management, as a Research Analyst, a Corrections Officers for the Kansas Department of Corrections and served in the U.S. Army. Outside of professional interests, he travels, reads, writes, and enjoys working out. Dr. Jackson is a member of the American Society of Criminology, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Correctional Association. His list of community volunteering includes: serving as President of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Gammu Nu Chapter and advisor for the Delta Chapter, as well as a volunteer work for Wichita State University’s Building Up Dream’s in Urban Youth Program and the City of Wichita’s Alternative Revenue Task force. Dr. Jackson currently serves as a board member on the City of Denver’s Crime Prevention and Control Commission and the state of Colorado’s Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY BREAKFAST SPEAKER:

 

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