THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Thirty-eight of the top undergraduate students at California Lutheran University will present their research findings to the public at the Ninth Annual Student Research Symposium on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Ahmanson Science Center.

With guidance from faculty mentors, the students took on challenges that ranged from human rights, religious minorities and democratic duty to the effect of different clotting factors on the structure of fibrin networks. Disciplinesinclude art, biology, bioengineering and applied physics, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, economics, English, exercise science, global studies, mathematics, psychology and religion.

Six students will give brief oral presentations from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Richter Hall. Jamie Morriss, a senior psychology major from San Diego minoring in religion, will discuss her work interviewing members of interfaith organizations in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and reviewing literature to determine the best methods for bring diverse people together for a common purpose. Aaron Waters, a junior psychology major from San Anselmo, will present his research involving people in recovery programs to combat alcoholism andaddiction. He found that spirituality was a stronger predictor of resilience than social support and gratitude and an effective treatment for those in recovery.

Visitors can talk one-on-one with 32 students presenting their results in demonstrations and posters from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Atrium. Jessica Reid, a senior exercise science major from Medford, Ore., will give a poster presentation on her study comparing the muscle-bone relationship in male cyclists and runners. She found that weight-bearing exercise appears to significantly impact bone strength in hips but not spines.

Many of the students will also share their original results at presentations at professional conferences throughout the country and publish them in peer-reviewed journals.

Refreshments will be served.

Ahmanson Science Center is located on Memorial Parkway between Regent and Pioneer avenues on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship is sponsoring the free symposium. For more information, call 805-493-3795, email ourcs@callutheran.edu or visit http://www.callutheran.edu/ourcs.