UTSA to showcase breadth of undergraduate research

UTSA researchers

UTSA researchers

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(April 8, 2014) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) will host its inaugural UTSA Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry Showcase, which will feature hundreds of undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from across the university. The showcase will be 10 a.m.­-3 p.m., Thursday, April 24 in the University Center on the UTSA Main Campus.

"This showcase is the first time in UTSA history that we've brought together all undergraduate research from all disciplines into one big event," said Donovan Fogt, director of the UTSA Office of Undergraduate Research. "The depth and breadth of the work UTSA students are doing is really quite remarkable. In fact, it has become evident that this showcase will be a visual representation of what a top-tier university looks like."

Here are a few examples of some of the student research projects that will be featured at the showcase:

  • Colin Dowling, kinesiology major, will share his results on the effects of e-cigarettes on arterial blood pressure.
  • Jennifer Kennedy, art and art history major, will present her self-sustaining, solar powered, LED-lit, functional hanging sculpture that communicates the concepts in the research conducted at the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute at UTSA.
  • Ricardo Rosales, mathematics major, is building a decision-support tool that uses data on students' academics, financial aid and demographics in order to determine which variables are best for predicting successful degree plan completion.
  • Vida Ugochukwu, criminal justice major, will showcase her research on how a family functions with a drug-dependent and/or alcohol-addicted family member.
  • Elvia Valdes, communication major, investigates how communication technology devices are used to both initiate and dissolve workplace romances.

In addition to the student showcase, Ann Eisenberg, UTSA psychology professor and associate dean of the Honors College, and Carlos Garcia, associate professor of chemistry, will be honored for their commitment to excellence in undergraduate research. Eisenberg and Garcia will receive the inaugural Faculty Service to Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Award for their contribution to undergraduate scholarly activities, as well as their vision for undergraduate transformative experiences at UTSA.

Formed in April 2013, the Office of Undergraduate Research increases the visibility of and participation in undergraduate scholarly endeavors at UTSA. Research opportunities afford undergraduate students top-tier academic experience by complementing classroom-based instruction, providing real-life, hands-on experience in their field of interest, and offering development of critical and independent thinking, creativity and problem solving.

>> Learn more about the UTSA Office of Undergraduate Research.

For more information, contact Donovan Fogt, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, at 210-458-8227.

 

 

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