NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences will host the 2014 Undergraduate Student Symposium, during which students showcase their scholarly work through poster displays, oral presentations and the Annual Undergraduate Film Festival, on April 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Alvin Sherman Library.
The Undergraduate Student Symposium is an annual event that inspires undergraduate students to pursue an area of research that interests them. The students spend months preparing their projects with faculty.
Don Rosenblum, dean of Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, said NSU’s small classes and focused faculty allow students to go beyond learning in just the classroom.
“The symposium allows students to go into more depth on a specific topic they are interested in. Often times, the ideas are sparked while in class,” Rosenblum said. “A professor will mention something and the student thinks ‘I want to learn more about that.’ At that moment, a student starts wanting more. They begin reading books, watching videos, asking professors on the topic and ultimately, create a project.”
The event includes a welcome talk, presentations and an award ceremony. Johnathon Banks, assistant professor in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, is a mentor for students presenting their work and will give the welcome speech. He will discuss how he became a researcher and the path he took to determine his research focus.
Banks said, “I didn’t wake up one morning when I was 10 and say ‘Oh, I want to do cognitive thinking psychology,” Banks said. “Instead, I took a less direct route, and this is what my speech will cover.”
After the speech, the NSU community and the public will be able to view the projects presented.
Weylin Sternglanz, professor in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, believes the journey the students take in creating their projects is nothing less than rewarding.
“Students gain a sense of self-advocacy when creating their projects. Throughout their research, they learn that they can accomplish incredible goals that may have seemed very daunting in the beginning,” Sternglanz said.
Senior psychology majors Matthew Welhaf and Deborah Radmanesh will present their poster on working memory and cognitive awareness. They have been working on their project since November and said they are happy to finally have their hard work recognized.
“A project like this is always good to have on a resume. It’s also an opportunity to showcase what NSU has offered all of us,” Welhaf said.
Radmanesh agrees and added, “Being able to run our own project is a big thing, it’s not something that many undergraduates do.”
Banks views the event as a stepping stone for students. Many of the projects featured at the symposium lead to further research, publication, national conferences and other great opportunities.
“Having the symposium on campus allows students to prepare themselves for larger conferences,” he said. “It gives them practice and a feeling of home. Being able to see friendly faces of faculty and professors supporting the students, as opposed to people disagreeing with their results, is a major factor.”
Around 40 faculty judges will judge projects based on the significance and importance of the topic, appropriateness of the research question, research methods and procedures, result interpretation, creativity, oral presentation clarity and professionalism.
Rosenblum said, “The interesting part is that the students don’t know who the judges are.”
Prior to the event, the judges look at the projects to evaluate and take notes, without the students there. On the day of the event, the judges will look to see how well the students explain and connect with their research. The judges will ask questions, general or specific, while filling out a rating sheet and evaluation form.
At the award ceremony, students will be awarded first, second and third place, along with honorable mention awards.
“To see all of the students on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if they’ve been awarded or recognized for their work is simply gratifying,” Rosenblum said.
Sternglanz said the symposium allows the community to see the creative side of students.
“For the rest of the student’s life, they’ll be able to say ‘I made this creative project.’ I don’t think there’s any substitute for this type of accomplishment,” Sternglanz said.
Banks has been involved with the symposium since he started working at NSU three years ago and said he has seen it grow tremendously.
“More and more students are interested in the symposium and are constantly coming to me asking how they can get involved,” he said.
Students who are not participating in the symposium are encouraged to “come out and see the impressive work their peers created,” said Banks.
Sternglanz said students should see their peers’ work so they can feel inspired.
“Students will be able to say, ‘If he or she can do it, so can I,’” he said.
Rosenblum said he is moved by students’ work.
“Throughout the event, I witness students become very connected to the deeper understanding of their research,” Rosenblum said. “It is truly amazing to see students in their element.”
Students interested in starting their research project and participating in the symposium next year should contact Sternglanz at sterngla@nova.edu.
