NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences will host the 2015 Undergraduate Student Symposium on April 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. at 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. During the symposium, students will showcase their scholarly work through poster displays, oral presentations and the annual Undergraduate Film Festival.
Don Rosenblum, dean of Farquhar College, said NSU’s small classes and focused faculty allow students to go beyond learning in just the classroom and that students spend months preparing their projects with faculty.
“Ultimately, we are about defining who we are and where we belong in this larger world,” Rosenblum said. “Research and inquiry is a human drive; the symposium is not about a research project that sits on a shelf; it’s about realizing who we’ve become.”
The event includes a welcome talk, presentations and an award ceremony. Rosenblum said many of the projects featured at the symposium lead to further research, publication, national conferences and other great opportunities.
“The projects in the symposium are amazing, and students need to attend to see what’s possible. If a student goes to this university doing the basic minimum, just going to class, then what a shame that is,” he said.
Mentor for students presenting their work Weylin Sternglanz, associate professor in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, believes the journey a student takes in creating their projects is nothing less than rewarding.
Sternglanz said even for those students who are not presenting, the symposium is an invaluable experience.
“It is inspirational for students to see their peers engaging in high level scholarship and working closely with faculty mentors. My hope is that students will feel inspired to seek out faculty members to serve as mentors for the students’ own creative ideas in the future,” he said.
Senior psychology major Idania Elizabeth Cater and sophomore biology major Guy Merus will present their psychological research entitled “Evaluating Participant Pool Characteristics across the Semester via Replication.” They have been working on their project since September and said they are happy to finally have their hard work recognized.
Cater said the research study was a crowd-sourced project that utilized 23 university student pools. NSU contributed 131 participants.
“The main point of the study was to determine whether researchers’ intuitions about student’s characteristics being different in the beginning of the semester as opposed to the end of the semester had any statistically significant effect on research results,” she said.
Around 60 faculty 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. “If you talk to students, you’ll find that while they enjoy recognition, they don’t care if they win or lose. They admire each other’s work; the symposium is not so much competitive as it is celebratory. All of them realize they are doing something special.”
During this year’s symposium, additional students who’ve done work that is not a part of the symposium will be acknowledged as well.
“While the symposium is certainly to honor the work that is showcased that day, it also to acknowledge other students’ achievements — whether it is the winners of the literary magazine, Digressions or the student’s artwork featured in the Juried Student Art Exhibition,” Rosenblum said.
Cater said it is essential for NSU to host the symposium each year because it allows students who are working above and beyond the regular course load to show their hard work.
“The symposium is a moment of pride for the student and their family and friends. It feels incredible to be able to say, ‘I was able to present some of my findings to my university,” she said.
Cater said attending the symposium will help ignite passion in a student for scholarship.
“Students should attend the symposium in hopes of being inspired to get involved in research and other endeavors on campus, to learn from fellow peers and to present their own findings,” she said.
At many universities, Sternglanz said that this type of experience is reserved only for graduate students earning their doctoral degrees.
“Here in the Farquhar College, we have very small classes and no graduate teaching assistants; this means that undergraduate students have the opportunity to receive guidance on scientific research and creative endeavors directly from faculty mentors,” he said. “Such experiences are seen very positively in graduate school applications and on the job market.”
Cater said the faculty at NSU is eager to see students succeed.
“I have not come across any professors in my department who are not exceedingly helpful. The students who do not realize this and do not take advantage of the outstanding professors here are not taking advantage of what this university has to offer,” she said.
Merus said the symposium allows students to build relationships and exchange ideas with other students, faculty and experts from various career backgrounds.
“For students who are thinking about taking part in the 2016 Undergraduate Student Symposium, I have learned that the faculty of NSU is here to help as long as you are willing to work for your goals. Use them to your advantage. Remember, it all starts with an idea, so don’t be afraid to ask,” 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.”
Admission to the Undergraduate Student Symposium is free, and everyone is invited to attend.
Students interested in starting their research project and participating in the symposium next year should contact Sternglanz at sterngla@nova.edu.
Dean Rosenblum’s advice for students who are participating in the 2015 Undergraduate Student Symposium:
“Enjoy the moment. You’ve done all this work. When you pause for a moment and put your work on display for the larger community, it’s frightening and exciting. When you see the genuine interest and curiosity of your work from others, you feel like a resource, you feel important. Everyone should experience this feeling.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of pinterest.com/novase
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