The third annual Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium Academic Symposium at College of the Mainland is accepting abstracts for projects on this year’s theme, “Time and Place as Context.”

No person created a masterpiece, made a groundbreaking scientific discovery or impacted society in a vacuum. Each occurred in a specific time and place.

COM’s symposium is open to students, faculty and community members wanting to explore how  time, place and culture impacted a topic or person in art, social studies, humanities, science or technology. The top five presenters will win scholarships from $50 to $200.

Abstracts describing original projects should be 200-300 words submitted at www.com.edu/symposium by April 2 at 7 p.m.

Questions for consideration include: Have time and place impacted the way we define love? Do medical practices vary depending on time and place? Have beliefs and ideological systems changed according to time and place?

“We ask students to consider the way time and place influence our actions and interpretations in any and all of the disciplines including and not limited to the arts, maths, sciences, social sciences, humanities and technical fields,” said professor Dalel Serda, co-chair with Dr. Heather Brasher.

Those with accepted abstracts will present at the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium Academic Symposium, April 29, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dr. Veronica Sanchez, geology professor at Texas A&M Kingsville, is the keynote speaker.

The Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium Academic Symposium allows students to receive recognition for their work, learn from other students and earn scholarships. 

"When the day came to present, I had a few slip-ups, but I was confident in my work,” said John Galvan, 2014 symposium participant. "I realized that I was someone who was capable of giving an intellectual presentation. It wasn’t about having the highest GPA or knowing everything. It was about sharing my passion and what I had learned and discovered.” 

For more information visit www.com.edu/symposium or call 409-933-8497.