Penn State Student Becomes First Undergraduate to Present Research at Population Association of America's Annual Conference
Penn State Student Becomes First Undergraduate to Present Research at Population Association of America's Annual Conference
Ryan Newman spent the past summer in Cameroon conducting research for his honor thesis, and now the senior in Penn State's Smeal College of Business Administration has been selected to present his research findings at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America. The economics major is believed to be the first undergraduate to present a paper at this conference.
"It's exciting to be an undergraduate student participating in the conference and to present this research to my peers," says Newman, a native of Yardley, PA. "During the time I spent in Cameroon, my focus was centered on learning as much as possible from my international experience. I never even dreamed that the research I was engaged in would result in such an extraordinary opportunity within the academic community upon returning to Penn State."
The Population Association of America (PAA) is a nonprofit, scientific, professional organization established to promote the improvement, advancement and progress of the human race through research of problems related to human population. PAA members include demographers, sociologists, economists, public health professionals, and other individuals interested in research and education in the population field.
The conference takes place March 29-31 in Washington, D.C. Newman's paper is entitled, "Fertility Transition in Cameroon, with Emphasis on Adolescent Fertility."
Newman began his research as one of the first recipients of the Schreyer Honors College's international summer thesis research grants, which are designated for Schreyer scholars who want to go abroad to perform research for their thesis.
Newman's research constitutes a case study of the evolving fertility transition in Cameroon, emphasizing adolescent fertility. His research advisor is David Shapiro, professor of economics and women's studies at Penn State. In addition to his research and class studies, Newman is Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Business Roundtable, a networking group comprised of the presidents and chairs of student organizations in Penn State's Smeal College of Business Administration.
REPORTERS & EDITORS: For more information, please contact Wyatt DuBois in the Smeal College of Business Media Relations Office at 814-863-3798 or wed112@psu.edu.
Penn State's Smeal College of Business offers highly ranked undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, Ph.D., and executive education opportunities to more than 5,500 students at all levels. Featuring academic departments of accounting, finance, marketing, insurance and real estate, management, and supply chain and information systems, the college is also home to major research centers such as the Center for Supply Chain Research, the Institute for the Study of Business Markets, the Center for Digital Transformation, the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Global Business Studies, and the Center for the Management of Technological and Organizational Change.
