WATERLOO - The largest graduate student research conference in Canada takes place next week at the University of Waterloo, with the public welcome to learn about the latest discoveries developed by young minds.

The eighth annual Sharing Discovery conference, from April 21 to 24, unveils research accomplishments by more than 200 Waterloo master's and doctoral students from six faculties -- applied health sciences, arts, engineering, environment, mathematics and science. Participants will give poster or oral presentations covering the areas of health, life and environment, humanities and social sciences, physical science, and math and technology.

The conference, which features an emphasis on sustainable practices, includes a new session entitled Aging, Health and Well-Being. It's one of a growing number of specialty sessions held by departments and other groups during the four-day event.

All sessions are open to the public. They will be held in the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre, rooms 1301, 1302 and 1304, from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. For a program schedule, visit link.

This year's keynote speaker is Thomas Homer-Dixon, an academic who will be joining UW and CIGI (Centre for International Governance Innovation) this summer. An expert on the links between environmental stress and violence in developing countries, Homer-Dixon's recent research has focused on threats to global security in the 21st century and how societies adapt to complex ecological, economic, and technological change.

The award-winning author of The Ingenuity Gap, Homer-Dixon will give his talk on Monday, April 21 in the humanities theatre in the J. G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities, beginning at 3 p.m. Tickets are available to the public through the theatre box office.

"This year's conference upholds the vision of the organizers of our first annual meeting -- to profile and promote excellence in graduate studies at Waterloo, to bring graduate students from all disciplines together and give them the opportunity to share their research findings, and to encourage and foster interdisciplinary research," says Bill Power, associate dean of graduate studies and conference chair. "I am pleased to offer this program as the latest evidence of the students' own efforts to realize this vision."

Poster presentations describing research projects will be on display throughout the week in the Davis Centre. The diverse research topics include:

* Socioeconomic Status and Smoking in Canada, 1999-2006: Has there been any progress on disparities in tobacco use? -- Jessica Reid, master's student in the department of health studies and gerontology.

* The Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Tibet Tourism: Traveller's Perspective -- Ming Ming Su, doctoral student in the department of geography.

* The Experiences of Poverty: Homeless Youth and Social Exclusion -- Jennifer L. Robinson, doctoral student in the department of sociology.

* Multi-Factor Password Authenticated Key Exchange -- Douglas Stebila, Doctoral student in the department of Combinatorics and Optimization.

* Study of Stent Angioplasty Process Using Finite Element Modelling Method -- Nasim Paryab, doctoral student in the department of mechanical engineering.

* Latitudinal Gradients in Aquatic Insect Communities in the Mackenzie River System -- Ryan Scott, master's student in the department of biology.

In keeping with the sustainability focus, organizers are making a commitment to reduce the impact that the annual event has on the environment. Examples of the initiatives include an exclusively on-line program and re-usable tableware for lunches, snacks and beverages provided during the conference. All registered participants will receive a travel mug. No disposable cups or plastic bottles will be used at this event.

The conference, organized through the office of the dean of graduate studies, has received support from the president's office, graduate student association, graduate studies endowment fund, retail services, deans of the six faculties and various corporate sponsors.