The 19th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference is Dec. 4
Published Friday, November 22, 2024
The 19th annual Undergraduate Research Conference will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University.
Research projects from SMSU students representing 15 academic areas from across campus will be featured, according to this year’s conference coordinator Dr. Mostafa Hegazy, Associate Professor of Exercise Science.
Approximately 116 students will be participating. There are 95 presentations including 16 oral presentations, 16 virtual talks, and 64 poster presentations.
The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Conference Center with opening remarks from Dr. Ross Wastvedt. The keynote presentation begins at 8:40 a.m.
Poster and oral presentations begin at 9:45 a.m. Presentations will take place at several locations across campus. Oral presentations will be held in the Conference Center Upper Ballroom while poster presentations will be held in the Conference Center Lower Ballroom. Oral presentations consist of PowerPoint presentations about the student's research topic, followed by a short Q&A session.
Poster presentations are created using a template and are printed in the GIS Center at SMSU. The posters are the same quality as those used at professional conferences.
The conference features research topics from 15 different academic areas, including Accounting, Agribusiness Management, Biology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Exercise Science, History, Hospitality Management, Management, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Theatre Arts.
The Library Research Award will be presented at the closing remarks at 4:45 p.m. in the Upper Conference Center. The winner of the $250 award demonstrates high-quality use of library resources, articulates their research experience, and conducts a quality presentation.
The keynote speaker is Macy Violett presenting “Ask Questions, Have Confidence.” Macy grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota, and attended SMSU between 2014-2018 where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. She then moved home and worked as an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapist for 6 months, taking a little time away from school. In August 2019, Macy began her professional program at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska where she obtained her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy. She then went on to pass her board exam and became a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist (OT) in the state of Minnesota. Since obtaining her license two and a half years ago, Macy has been working as an acute care OT at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in the Twin Cities, helping to ensure patients are as safe and independent as they can be before discharging to the next level of care or home from the hospital. In May of 2023, the manuscript from her experience during the undergraduate research conference was published in the Journal of Physical Education and Sport. Her research project and manuscript were completed alongside her colleagues Lukas Johnson, Jenna Loch, and Dr. Mostafa Hegazy, with the support of former athletic trainer Brandon Church, and former head athletic trainer Laura Crowell, along with supervision of study from former Exercise Science Professor Dr. Jeffery Bell.
Macy will be sharing her experiences as a student and researcher at both SMSU and Creighton University. She will also be discussing how participating in research continues to take place beyond the Undergraduate Research Conference, along with how the value of asking questions and having confidence with key transitions in life are important takeaways from her journey, and their impact on her as both a student and in her position as an occupational therapist today.
The Undergraduate Research Conference originated when the Science Department conducted an Environmental Science program review. They realized the students needed more experience doing original research and then presenting their findings. Participation has grown from the sciences to engage almost all other academic disciplines since it began.
Support for the conference is provided by the David B. Jones Foundation.
To learn more about the Undergraduate Research Conference, presentations scheduled for this year, and for Zoom links to the virtual presentations, visit: www.SMSU.edu/go/urc
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