More than 500 educators and researchers are expected to gather at Lawrence Technological University March 13 for the annual meeting of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters (MASAL).

MASAL is a professional academic organization with the mission of supporting research and disseminating knowledge through annual conferences and the publication of a quarterly peer-reviewed journal, the Michigan Academician. It also awards an annual prize for outstanding undergraduate research. Most of its members are faculty or students at colleges and universities in Michigan, along with independent scholars and researchers. It is housed at Alma College.

The day-long event will feature approximately 70 oral research presentations across LTU’s campus, along with a research poster session and luncheon keynote.

“We welcome the opportunity to host MASAL, and further its important mission,” said LTU President Virinder Modugil. “This event also offers Lawrence Tech the opportunity to showcase our increasing emphasis on undergraduate research, which sets us apart from many institutions of higher education. Undergraduates at LTU are working in meaningful, groundbreaking research—both federally funded, and research that is sponsored by employers large and small that work closely with our faculty on solving society’s challenges.”

The luncheon speaker for this year’s conference is Sibrina N. Collins, executive director of LTU’s Marburger STEM Center, the university’s clearinghouse for K-12 outreach efforts in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines.

Collins, a Detroit native, started her academic training at Highland Park Community College, and later earned Master of Science and PhD degrees in inorganic chemistry from Ohio State University. She held faculty positions at universities in South Carolina, Washington, and Ohio before returning to Detroit to become education director at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. She joined LTU in 2016 as founding director of the Marburger STEM Center.

 For more information on the conference, visit https://www.alma.edu/offices/michigan-academy/conference-information/.