Five student groups will present their ideas for solving one of the world’s many wicked problems during Wartburg College’s seventh annual Research, Internship and Creative Endeavor Day Thursday, April 12.

By definition, a wicked problem is a social or cultural problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of its scope. Over the course of the academic year, students researched their ideas and submitted their plans in hopes of securing up to $5,000 in prize money as part of the college’s pilot incubator program. The final five ideas will be presented at 10 a.m. Thursday in Whitehouse Business Center 116.

“The Wicked Problems planning team has been thrilled with the overwhelming success of our pilot year. We are looking forward to refining the process and entering into our second year tackling Wicked Problems in fall 2018,” said Kristin Teig Torres, Wartburg’s director of community engagement.

This year more than 350 students are involved in approximately 425 poster sessions, oral and video presentations, readings, panel discussions, displays, art exhibits and music performances as part of RICE Day. The public is invited to attend all presentations, which begin at 8:30 a.m. at sites across campus.

In addition to the Wicked Problems Challenge, students also will present on everything from how video games impact student learning in a K-8 music classroom to the impact of globalization on economic development. Students in the college’s newest major, public health, will present on health inequalities in Bremer County, medical marijuana and determinants of reproductive health and vaccination rates in Bremer County.

Participating departments include: Business Administration, Accounting & Economics; Education; English & Modern Languages; Music; Social Work; Art; History; Religion & Philosophy; Journalism & Communication; Social Sciences; Biology; Biochemistry, Chemistry & Engineering Science; and Mathematics, Computer Science & Physics. There also will be presentations by students who participated in the college’s Urban Studies Program.

Students representing peace and justice studies, the Scholars Program and the Institute for Leadership Education also will present. Student-created artwork will be on display in the Waldemar A. Schmidt Art Gallery and Room 114, both in Bachman Fine Arts Center.

The Castle Singers and Wartburg Choir will hold open rehearsals in Wartburg Chapel at 3:45 p.m. and 4:50 p.m., respectively. The Wind Ensemble will rehearse at 4:50 p.m. in Bachman Fine Arts Center Room 100. The baseball, golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis and track and field teams will hold open practices between 4 and 6 p.m.

A full program, listing projects and sites, is available at https://www.wartburg.edu/rice/.