The Undergraduate Research Opportun ities Program (UROP), in cooperation with the Honors Program, will sponsor an undergraduate research symposium April 20 in the Union.
Undergraduate students from all departments are welcome and encouraged to apply.
“The symposium will give students the opportunity to present their work to fellow students and to faculty and staff,” said Slava Lubomudrov, senior associate dean of Undergraduate Studies and UROP director.
In addition, participating students will be able to work with a faculty mentor and present their research or creative projects through media including oral sessions, posters, artistic exhibits and performances.
Coordinators say the program will help students sharpen their presentation, performance and professional skills while enhancing their rsums and improving opportunities for attending graduate school.
These symposiums already exist in some departments, but other students have not had the ability to take advantage of this experience.
“If a department doesn’t have a way for students to present their research through a symposium, they can come here,” Lubomudrov said.
Another benefit of the program is that freshmen, who may otherwise be intimidated by presenting research to an audience, will have the opportunity to see fellow students who have actually made it happen, Lubomudrov said.
Coordinators say the symposium should not intimidate students.
“It will be a friendly experience,” Lubomudrov said.
To be considered for the program, students must submit an abstract of approximately 200 words by March 22.
Students may also choose to have their abstract published in the University of Utah Undergraduate Research Abstracts Journal 2004, which will be maintained by the Marriott Library.
The print version of the journal will be available locally and the online version will be accessible nationwide.
Students must submit a separate application for inclusion in the research abstract, but they may use the same sample that they submit for the symposium application. The deadline for applications to the journal is also March 22.
“Applications are just submissions,” said Jill Baeder, UROP Program Director.
These submission forms, along with further guidelines, can be found on the Internet at www.ugs.utah.edu/urop/symposium.