- two nights at the conference hotel,
- all conference meals, the Conference Abstracts,
- conference materials,
- and Heartland Conference T-shirts.
Download a four-page PDF informational brochure
Complete and submit the registration form online
(If you have questions about the form, contact Jeanne Gerhard,
by e-mail at jgerhard@ksu.edu or by phone at 785-532-6137.)
CONFERENCE DEADLINES [table of contents]
Registration: Friday, August 21, 2009
Abstracts: Friday, August 21, 2009
Cancellations must be received in writing by Friday, August 28.
GRADUATE FAIR INFORMATION [table of contents]
If you would like to attend the Heartland Conference Graduate Recruitment Fair on Friday night as a representative from an institution, please see this information page, which includes a link to the registration form.
ABSTRACTS & PRESENTATIONS [table of contents]
Abstracts, in MS Word, for both oral and poster presentations should be sent via e-mail by Friday, August 21 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 with 5 minutes for questions and 10 minutes of transition and set-up time between presentations.
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, 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 as many people as possible.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Scholars, please be sure to save your presentations as a Microsoft PowerPoint 97-2003 presentation. While some laptops at the conference may have PowerPoint 2007, 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, follow these instructions:1. Click on the "Office" Button.
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.Click for a PDF on applying for this year's scholarships
PRE-CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES [table of contents]
* Personal Statement Writing (Friday, 9/25, 1-3 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] has extensive experience with graduate school admissions. Heppler is the Assistant Director of Student Academic Services in the Graduate School at Oklahoma State University.
* NSF GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (Friday, 9/25, 3:15-5:15 p.m)
This pre-conference workshop will make participants familiar with the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program and how to apply for it as a source of funding for graduate school.* ART MUSEUM TOUR (Friday, 9/25, 1:00-3:00 p.m. & 3:15-5:15 p.m.)
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art -- Guided Tour
Cost: None -- it's FREEGet to know the new Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. This special 90-minute tour experience will include an introduction to both the new landmark Bloch Building designed by famous architect Steven Holl, as well the original museum building erected in 1933. The tour provides an excellent overview of the Museum's world-class art collections and cultural treasures. For further information visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum online.
NOTE: Conference participants need to register in advance for this activity. Space is limited! To register, click here to contact Dr. Vicki Landrum and sign up for the tour.
SPEAKERS [table of contents]
FRIDAY EVENING: Dr. John Augusto, Ph.D.
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 as the Assistant Dean in the Office of the Research and Graduate Studies.SATURDAY BREAKFAST SPEAKER: Dr. Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone, Ph.D.
Dr. Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone, member of the University of Central Missouri's McNair Class of 1996, earned a BA and MA in History from Central Missouri State University, a terminal MA in Museum Science from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Kansas. Her topic is Financing Graduate School. [see extended biography]KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Kia N. Johnson, Ph.D.
Kia N. Johnson, a McNair Scholars Program participant, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA). Her current research interests include investigating the influences of psycholinguistic and temperamental variables on developmental stuttering in young children from a behavioral/observational and electrophysiological perspective [see extended biography].SUNDAY MORNING: Ph.D. Panel -- bring your questions for our group of doctorate degree holders.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (subject to change) [table of contents]
Friday, September 25, 2009
1:00pm - 5:00pm Registration 1:00pm - 3:00pm Workshop: Personal Statement Writing Nelson-Atkins Art Museum Tour (first group) 3:15pm - 5:15pm NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Workshop Nelson-Atkins Art Museum Tour (second group) 6:00pm - 7:30pm Welcome, Introductions, & Dinner Opening Speaker: Dr. John Augusto 8:00pm - 10:00pm Graduate Recruitment Fair Saturday, September 26, 2009
7:30am - 8:45am Breakfast: Dr. Clifford-Napoleone on Financing Grad School 9:00am - 9:30am Poster Presentations 9:30am - 12:00pm Oral Research Presentations 12:15pm - 1:15pm Lunch (w/ trivia contest) 1:30pm - 4:30pm Oral Research Presentations 7:00pm Banquet and Keynote: Dr. Kia N. Johnson After Speaker... Entertainment on your own (see below) Sunday, September 27, 2009
9:00am - 10:30am Breakfast / Final Program: Ph.D. Panel 10:30am Awarding of the $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 78th Annual Plaza Art Fair will be held here on the weekend of the 2009 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!
- * 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.
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.eduShukura 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
Speaker Bio Information [table of contents]
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PRESENTER: Michael Heppler [see photo]
Michael Heppler has served Oklahoma State University since 1997. 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.
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 as the Assistant Dean in the Office of the Research and Graduate Studies.SATURDAY BREAKFAST SPEAKER: Dr. Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone, Ph.D.
Dr. Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone, member of the University of Central Missouri's McNair Class of 1996, earned a BA and MA in History from Central Missouri State University, a terminal MA in Museum Science from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Kansas. Her topic is "Financing Graduate School".She teaches Anthropology at the University of Central Missouri, where she also serves as Curator of Museum Collections. Dr. Clifford-Napoleone was a 2006-2007 Unsung Heroine of the Year for Phi Kappa Phi, and is currently a Faculty Associate of the 2008 Summer Seminar in Contemplative Education at Naropa University. An scholar of cultural studies and the anthropology of gender, Dr. Clifford-Napoleone is currently working on a book about gender transgression in Kansas City's jazz scene.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Kia N. Johnson, Ph.D. [see J.M.U. website / photo]
Kia N. Johnson is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA). Her current research interests include investigating the influences of psycholinguistic and temperamental variables on developmental stuttering in young children from a behavioral/observational and electrophysiological perspective.Dr. Johnson recently completed her doctoral training in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) under the guidance of Edward G. Conture, Ph.D. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Truman State University (Kirksville, MO) and a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Howard University (Washington, DC).
Dr. Johnson's research experience began during her undergraduate studies with participation in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program which led her to an interest in pursuing research in the field of speech-language pathology. Early on in her graduate career, she developed an interest in developmental stuttering and chose Vanderbilt University and the mentorship of Dr. Edward Conture for her doctoral training. Since that time, Dr. Johnson has presented her research at local, national, and international scholarly conferences, including ASHA, NBASLH and the 5th World Congress on Fluency Disorders. She also has first-authored research articles published in Journal of Fluency Disorders as well as the Journal of Communication Disorders along with several co-authored publications. Recently, she was awarded the MO-KAN-NE MAEOPP 2009 TRiO Achiever Award for recognition of her civic and professional contributions. As a teacher-scholar, Dr. Johnson is investigating differences in the emotional development of young children who stutter. Aside from research, Kia also holds the CCC-SLP and is also interested in broadening her clinical training to include specialty recognition from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association in the area of fluency disorders.
