by Mark McGowan
Undergraduates who have conducted research under the watchful eyes of their professors have a chance to show off that work this spring.
Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver’s office will host NIU’s first Undergraduate Research Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 29, in the Altgeld Hall auditorium.
Students can present posters, exhibits or digital representations in two categories – “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math” and “Social Science, Humanities and Arts” – and the cream of the crop will win money and plaques.
Pre-registration is encouraged, and abstracts and titles are due Friday, March 26.
Julia Spears, who is organizing the event with the Undergraduate Research Advisory Committee that consists of faculty from all six undergraduate colleges, said the initiative sprung from a recommendation from the final report of the Strategic Planning Task Force.
“Our underlying goals are to elevate awareness of the amazing work undergrads are doing around us every day, to provide a forum, to reward participation, encourage future students and to not only recognize the students who are doing this but the faculty who are supporting this work,” Spears said.
“This will allow students to see first-hand the ways in which what they’re learning in the classroom is applicable to real-world situations and to think critically about ways to provide solutions,” she added. “It’s also a wonderful opportunity to develop relationships with faculty and upperclassmen, and a great way to enter into the academic conversation.”
Spears, who arrived at NIU last year with a strong background of “enhancing participation in undergraduate research across campus and across disciplines,” is still on the hunt for students eager to display their new knowledge.
Nine young researchers already have registered to explain their projects in health sciences, manufacturing, marketing, psychology and speech-language pathology.
Among the topics:
Meanwhile, Spears said, administrators in the colleges are providing students with financial support for printing expenses. “For some of the students, even $45 is a difficult thing to come up with,” she said. “We’re really trying to remove any barriers.”
Awards will go to the first ($200), second ($150), third ($100) place and honorable mention ($50) posters in both categories. In addition, one research adviser will win the “Faculty Mentor of the Year Award,” which includes $500 and an engraved plaque.
Undergraduate Research Day is receiving funding from the Strategic Plan, the Division of Research and Graduate Studies, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and each of the undergraduate colleges.
For more information, call (815) 753-8152 or e-mail jspears1@niu.edu.