Media representatives and the public are invited to attend the University of Nevada School of Medicine's 28th Annual George G. Bierkamper Student Research Convocation on Wednesday, January 12. Nearly 20 graduate and medical students will participate in the convocation which will be held in the Pennington Medical Education Building at the medical school campus in Reno and teleconferenced to the pediatric conference room in Las Vegas.

The convocation provides students the opportunity to present original research to a group of their peers and mentors.

Students participating in the convocation will be evaluated by a panel of judges from the School of Medicine faculty and student ranks. They may compete in either the graduate student category or medical student category and will be judged based upon the quality of their research, findings and presentation. The top student in each category will receive a cash award as well as recognition for their achievement during School of Medicine commencement ceremonies in May.

Student presentations will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a break for lunch. Distinguished guest lecturer is Timothy Porter, Ph.D., dean of the College of Sciences at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who will be speaking on "Chemical and Biological Sensing Using Piezoresistive Microcantilever Sensors." He will speak at 4 p.m.

The Bierkamper Student Research Convocation recognizes the excellence of the medical school students as well as that of faculty and staff who diligently mentor students throughout their research process. All research presented by students at the convocation is original and conducted in addition to their coursework.

The convocation was started as a formal activity of the School of Medicine in 1983; however, the event has carried the name of Professor George Gwyne Bierkamper since his death in 1988. The George G. Bierkamper Student Research Convocation embodies the spirit of research and encourages School of Medicine students "not to worship what is known, but to question it."