Prof. McConnell To Address Science Fair Luncheon

Prof. McConnell To Address Science Fair Luncheon

Prof. James V. McConnell of the University's psychology department, internationally known researcher on learning, will be the speaker at this year’s Southeastern Michigan Science Fair Awards Luncheon.

In announcing the speaker, Gordon J. LeBrasse, Federal Mogul Research director and director of the fair, said luncheon will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 11, in the Michigan League Ballroom.

More than 200 entry cards have been received from junior and senior high school students from five area counties who plan to exhibit science projects at the sixth annual event next Friday through Sunday, April 2, at the U-M Sports Building

Late entries for the fair are expected up until Monday morning, although the deadline for mailing entry cards was Wednesday of this week.  A record total of 258 entries was received for last year's fair.

The fair is sponsored annually by the Ann Arbor Exchange Club, the U-M and The News.  It is open to students from junior and senior high schools in Washtenaw, Monroe, Lenawee, Jackson, Hillsdale and Livingston Counties.

Prizes paid for with funds donated by area industrial and business firms will include expense-paid trips to the National Science Fair-International May 6-9 in Baltimore, Md., various cash awards, scholarships, medals, ribbons, books, cameras, a U.S. Navy science cruise and others.

McConnell, who will address the fair entrants achieved fame with his studies of learning in flatworms that are being conducted at the U-M Mental Health Research Institute Building.

A major article of this work appeared in last week's Saturday Evening Post.  Similar articles have appeared in newspapers and other publications throughout the country.

He edits and publishes "The Worm Runner's Digest," an informal journal of comparative psychology that has an international circulation of more than 2,000 copies.

McConnell has served as consultant to the U.S. Defense Department in problems of persuasion and motivation.  He also has served as consultant to the Smithsonian Institution, and in 1961 was consultant to the U.S. Department of Commerce.  During that time he played a major role in planning the behavioral exhibits for the Seattle World's Fair.

Last year he was granted the Research Career Development Award of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, National Institutes of Health.  He has been awarded a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Palo Alto, Calif.

A former announcer, production supervisor and program director for various radio stations in the South, McConnell left the radio field in 1951 and enrolled at the University of Texas where he received a master's degree in psychology.  He was graduated from Louisiana State University in 1947.

After receiving his master's degree, McConnell became a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Oslo, Norway.  He also lectured at the universities of Nijegen and Utrecht in The Netherlands, and Tuebigen in Germany.  He received his doctorate from the University of Texas in 1956.

He then came to the U-M as instructor of psychology, was promoted to assistant professor in 1958, to associate professor in 1962, and to full professor last year.