How does the word “recession” relate to confidence in the economy? How can elevation affect plant stress? What constitutes presolar carbonaceous stardust?
The answers to these questions and many more will be revealed during the annual fall Undergraduate Research Symposium from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Laboratory Sciences Building.
More than 300 undergraduate students are expected to showcase their research projects through poster presentations and visual and oral presentations during the event, which is free and open to the public.
“This symposium continues to grow and expand each year,” said Henry Biggs, Ph.D., associate dean in Arts & Sciences and director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “Our previous high watermark was 220 posters, and, this year, it looks like we will have well over 300.
“We’ve come a long way from the first symposium with eight participants. We are honored to have the opportunity to provide a venue for each of our undergraduate students, from all five colleges, to present and discuss the research that’s been the focus of much of their time on campus,” Biggs said.
Junior T.J. Pepping, majoring in chemical engineering and in economics in Arts & Sciences, will present his research on the economic analysis of microhydropower in Iceland.
“The Undergraduate Research Symposium is a great experience, whether you’re a participant or a visitor,” Pepping said. “As a participant, it’s a chance to showcase the work you’ve been doing, and, as a visitor, it’s just interesting to walk by all the posters. The research being presented can be really amazing, and it’s a fantastic chance to see all of the opportunities that are available to undergraduate students at a research university like WUSTL.”
Senior Laura Kelly, majoring in psychology in Arts & Sciences, will present her research into what effect the word “recession” has on confidence in the economy.
“By conducting my research project and preparing my data for the symposium, I gained experience that will help me better implement research projects in the future and learned important data analysis skills,” Kelly said.
“Few universities have such a robust undergraduate research program that supports students throughout the course of their research and gives them such a great opportunity to present their studies,” Kelly said.
“This experience will give me an advantage in graduate school when I will be expected to independently conduct and present my own research. Moreover, it gave me invaluable skills that will help me reach my goal of producing quality cognitive science research,” Kelly said.
For more information, visit ur.wustl.edu.