The Petersheim Academic Exposition will host its opening reception for the 17th year on Monday, April 22 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Chancellor's Suite of the University Center.
This year's theme will continue to be "Share, Honor, Unite," a newly defined acronym for "SHU."
The Petersheim Exposition is a university-wide event that brings together students and faculty members of all disciplines to have their work honored by the Seton Hall community, according to the co-chairwoman of the expo, Dr. Vivienne Carr.
The expo provides all members of the Seton Hall community with a unique platform to display their work, according to Carr.
The Petersheim Committee, which includes members from all areas of the University, came together about three years ago to create this theme.
Carr said that while standing at a blackboard in Alfieri Hall, she wrote out the acronym SHU and the committee redefined it based on the values of Petersheim.
"It works so beautifully to have as a theme," she said. "It is what we do; we share information, we honor students and faculty, and we unite, we come together."
According to Carr, "Share, Honor, Unite" builds on the original theme of the exposition: "Bringing knowledge to life."
The keynote speaker at the exposition will be Dr. Steven D. House, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Elon University. He has previously served Seton Hall University for many years as professor, director and associate dean of Seton Hall's College of Arts & Sciences.
During his time at Seton Hall, House received Seton Hall's Student Choice Award for outstanding teaching.
Following House's lecture on Monday will be the interdisciplinary poster session in the University Center's Main Lounge. A number of student projects that will be displayed during the session were completed through their course work, according to Carr.
Each student participating in the expo is paired with a faculty adviser who guides them through the process. Students are also encouraged to attend Teaching, Learning and Technology Center workshops.
"These are skill-building workshops," Carr said. "Students learn how to build posters and present in a way they may not have (before)."
Created in 1996 by professor Matthew Petersheim, the exposition brings together the community to celebrate their accomplishments.
According to Carr, Petersheim was both well-liked and committed to his goal.
"He felt there should be a venue for students to expo their work," Carr said.
After his death, the ad-hoc committee he put together to spearhead the creation of this venue named the exposition for him, in honor of his legacy.
Today, the expo is led by a steering committee, which meets weekly. The committee begins preparation in the fall semester for the exposition and calls for participation at that time. Several subcommittees play a vital role, including promotions and website building.
The steering committee is co-chaired by Carr and Dr. Su Li Chang.
The Petersheim Exposition continues for five days, concluding on Saturday, April 27. For more information on the exposition visit: http://www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/petersheim/
Erin Williams can be reached at erin.williams@student.shu.edu.
