Honors Day 2024
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Honors Day is a day to celebrate the many remarkable achievements of our students. The day begins with the annual Rall Symposium for Student Research. The Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research was first held in 1998 as a forum for showcasing excellence in student research at North Central College. Each year, the Symposium has drawn an increasing number of student presenters while maintaining high presentation standards. Starting in 2023, graduate students are invited to showcase their work, as well.
The Symposium is named for Dr. Joseph Rall, M.D., Ph.D., North Central Class of 1940. Dr. Joseph Rall was involved in the Symposium since its inception and played a critical role in attracting Nobel Laureates and other distinguished scholars to speak to Symposium attendees. Dr. Rall won numerous awards and honors from the medical and scientific communities. He retired as deputy director of intramural research at the National Institutes of Health -- the highest civil service position at the NIH -- and was described as America's foremost authority on the thyroid. A member of the National Academy of Science, Dr. Rall’s most important role at the National Institutes of Health was to make all the decisions for major funding of scientific research. A passionate but tough researcher not afraid to set high standards, he catalyzed undergraduate research at North Central, his alma mater, by sponsoring the Rall Symposium, so students across the curriculum could present their work for their peers, teachers, parents and leading researchers who keynote the Symposium.
In the afternoon, the college hosts its annual Honors Convocation where a variety of student awards are presented. The day concludes with inductions to several honor societies.
For those who could not attend in person, the Honors Convocation is available to watch here.
View the extended version of the Honors Day program, which includes a full schedule of the Rall Symposium along with abstracts for all the presentations and a full list of outstanding majors:
Honors Day program (web version)
Honors Day program (.pdf)
Schedule of Events
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
26th Annual Rall Symposium for Student Research
Wentz Science Center
8:30 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Poster Session 1
Judy G. Stevenson Hall
Wentz Science Center
9:35 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
Oral Session
Wentz Science Center Classrooms
11:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Poster Session 2
Judy G. Stevenson Hall
Wentz Science Center
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Lunch
Kaufman Dining Hall
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
48th Annual Honors Convocation
Wentz Concert Hall
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Reception
Wentz Concert Hall Lobby
4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Honor Society Events
Various Locations