What is the Undergraduate Symposium?
The Undergraduate Symposium was created to celebrate the contributions that undergraduate students from every discipline make to the research mission of the university. These contributions come in various forms:
- a thesis project
- a course-based term paper
- the results of participation in a lab
- the publication of a paper with or without co-authors
- the creation of a sculpture, painting, photograph, or graphic design piece
- the development and design of a new sports product
- the results of community based research through courses
- the development of an architectural blueprint
- and many, many more…
As a UO undergraduate you have likely performed one of the activities listed above during the last year, either on your own or as part of a group. And undoubtedly it involved a lot of time and hard work. The Undergraduate Symposium is your opportunity to share the results of your intellectual labor – your ideas, discoveries, and artistic expressions. These things you should be celebrated – they shouldn’t only be viewed as items on a check list that eventually leads to graduation.
Who participates in the Undergraduate Symposium?
The research and creative scholarship projects being presented at the Symposium come from students from every corner of campus and at all grade levels. Just look at some of the titles of the presentations at the 2014 Undergraduate Symposium:
- Sustainable Farms: A Management Plan for Restoring Goose Creek
- Accessing Long-Term Memory – What Pupil Dilation Can Tell Us About Learning and Memory
- Do Distinct Types of Progenitors Contribute to the Diversity of Enteric Neurons and Glia?
- Disease and Space: An Historical Epidemiology Study Investigating Northern Paiute Cultural Patterns Pre and Post Reservation
- Traditional Iron Forging in Contemporary Times: An ethnoarchaeological study on the position of blacksmiths in the archaeological and sociocultural records
- US Constitutionalism and Constitutions of the Arab Spring: A Comparison of Constitutional Evolution and the Role of ‘Common’ Citizens
- Crafting the Ancient: Pre-Columbian Music for a Modern Audience
What are my presentation options?
You can present your research however you believe it will best be communicated. You can go with a poster presentation, an oral presentation with or without PowerPoint, an art/product/design display, or a musical showcase. The Undergraduate Symposium Planning Committee can work with you to decide what the best format will be.
When and where is the event?
The Undergraduate Symposium is held in the EMU on Thursday, May 14th.
When is the deadline for submission?
The abstract submission deadline is March 18th.
Can groups apply?
Yes.
Does my project need to be completely finished?
The research project that you submit does not need to be completely finished. Many presenters are only partially through their project, but are able to share their research question(s), methodology, and initial findings.
Is the submission process complicated?
The submission process is fairly simple. All you need to do is enter some biographical information, select the type of research and creative scholarship you completed, your field of study, preferred method of presentation, and then upload a copy of your abstract (MS word documents only).
Is the review process competitive?
The review and selection process is minimally competitive. The review committee is made up of faculty representing a variety of disciplines. They will primarily be looking at your abstract to see that it is well-crafted and meets the definition of research and creative scholarship in your field of study.
For more information about the Undergraduate Symposium please visit the website. If you have any questions contact ugresearch@uoregon.edu.