More than 180 students will present at Undergraduate Research Symposium

LAWRENCE — The 20th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium will take place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in the Kansas Union. 

"The symposium is KU's premiere celebration of the excellent research, scholarship and creative works completed by KU undergraduates each year," said John Augusto, assistant vice provost. "On Saturday, over 180 students will present their work, and many more will attend to learn more about research and creative opportunities on campus."

The Undergraduate Research Symposium began in 1998 with the vision of Professor Emeritus K. Barbara Schowen, who wanted to provide an opportunity for students to share the results of their research and creative projects and hone their communication skills.  The University Honors Program ran the symposium until 2013, when the newly established Center for Undergraduate Research hosted the event for the first time. Over the past 20 years, the campus has seen an increase in the number of students, faculty and staff participating in and supporting this annual event.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium is sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research and the Office of Research. Students, faculty, staff and the general public are invited to attend the symposium to learn about the breadth of undergraduate research at KU. A full list of student presenters and a schedule for the day are available on the Center’s website.

ACE Talks

The ACE Talks are the keynote presentations for the day. These talks showcase students presenting their research and creative projects in an (A)ccesible, (C)reative and (E)ngaging way. Students applied to give an ACE Talk by submitting an abstract of their work and a short video of themselves talking about their project. ACE Talk presenters each receive $500 in addition to the featured speaking slot. The 2017 ACE Talk winners:

• Karynn Glover, Olathe, “The relationship between motivational climate and objective performance,” mentored by Mary Fry, health, sport, & exercise sciences
• Billie Lubis, Overland Park, “X-ray testing of silicon forward pixel modules,” mentored by Alice Bean, physics & astronomy
• Elizabeth Phillips, McKinney, Texas, “The Perceptual Boundary Between Two Auditory Illusions,” mentored by Michael Vitevitch, psychology.