Providence College' s Global Studies Program will present the First Global Studies Student Research Symposium on Saturday, April 5, 2008 in the Smith Center for the Arts.

The symposium, which is open to the public, will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a welcome and an address by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. in the Bowab Studio Theatre.

The daylong event will feature a keynote address by Dr. Nicholas Longo ’96, director of the Harry T. Wilks Leadership Institute and assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Miami University. Longo, who was a political science major at PC, also directed “Raise Your Voice,” a multi-year campaign to increase college student participation in public life, from 2002 to 2004.

Thirteen College students will present research papers during three thematic panels, which will be introduced by PC faculty members. The panels will address several topics, including globalization and social justice, global warming and climate change, global economy and governance, global health, and sustainable development.

Presentations will take place in the Bowab Studio Theatre.

With the first four-year class of global studies majors graduating this spring, Dr. Nuria Alonso-Garcia, associate professor of Spanish and director of the Global Studies Program, felt the time was right to honor their academic achievements and began organizing the event with the support of the Global Studies Advisory Committee.

“I think the symposium will be a wonderful opportunity for students interested in global issues to showcase their work and engage in academic dialogue related to the global studies discipline,” said Alonso-Garcia. “I also believe that the symposium will inspire students to pursue a specific line of research, and explore in depth topics of global impact.”