This year marks the 15th annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, a showcase of works of talent and research done by NSU undergraduate students through student research projects, creative writing and film presentations. The last day to submit the online application for the symposium is Feb. 23 at 11:59 p.m.
Students wanting to participate in the symposium, which is sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, must submit an abstract that details their project and have it approved by a faculty advisor.
Students can also take part in the symposium by creating a film, but first they must email their film concept to Weylin Sternglanz, associate professor in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, at sterngla@nova.edu by Feb. 20.
Sternglanz said, “You can create a new short film, or you can enter a film that you created previously in a film class. The only important rule is that the director of the film must be a current Farquhar College undergraduate student.”
The symposium will be held on April 13 at 1 p.m. in the Performance Theatre of the Performing and Visual Arts Wing in the Don Taft University Center.
“Every year at the U.S.S., I have been impressed with students’ scientific research, thought-provoking analyses, and short films,” said Sternglanz. “The film festival in particular has been a great inspiration to me. I’m amazed by what our students can create despite limited resources and experience.”
Don Rosenblum, dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, said participating students develop mentoring relationships with faculty and experience for themselves the process of research and discovery and become recognized for it.
“It’s a really great forum for students to use to showcase their work,” said Rosenblum. “For someone in biology or chemistry, it gives them a chance to present their laboratory research. [For students in] the social sciences, they could present a research project or a presentation on a deeper research or clinical practice. For the students in the humanities it could be a research paper or some very thoughtful and creative work.”
Participation in the symposium encourages students to test their own hypotheses and display their academic findings in front of their peers. Many of the projects featured at the symposium lead to further research, publication or presentation at national conferences.
Rosenblum also said that students not only benefit from having their work showcased, but they also have the opportunity to demonstrate a unique and valuable level of academic engagement and initiative to potential employers or to pursue graduate school.
The projects will be showcased in the library and faculty will serve as judges. There is limited space, so the faculty judges will decide what will be showcased at the symposium.
Vittoria Santini, senior communications major, said that the symposium gives students the chance to expand on what they’ve learned.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to help filmmakers gain the exposure they need and have fun doing so,” said Santini.
Interested students may also inquire about taking part in films as crew members or actors.
For more information and to apply go to: http://www.fcas.nova.edu/student/student_symposium/index.cfm.
