Past participants of the annual Undergraduate Research Conference at BYU-Hawaii said it helped them prepare for presenting at national conferences, defend their research and improve their resumes.BYUH alumnus and 2013 conference participant Wyeth Thomas remarked, “Presenting at the conference will not only be a great asset on grad school application and your CV, but also it will give you a feel for an important aspect of a career in academia and is a great step towards presenting at a national conference.”After long hours of work on projects and research, BYUH students will have the opportunity to present their projects on March 20 at various places around campus. It is an event provided for students to practice presenting their research and have it reviewed and questioned by peers and superiors. “Many on this campus do not realize just how much exceptional work is being done by the students in research and creative endeavors,” said, Phillip McArthur, the dean of the College of Language, Culture and Arts. “Our students are not simply passive recipients of knowledge but are actively seeking it out and producing it themselves in very capable ways that achieve a high standard.” The conference will provide a place where this work will be able to be displayed and for others to acknowledge all of the research that has taken place by students. 2013 Research Conference participant, Crystal Bates, said, “I thought the conference was great and that it was a good opportunity to talk about my project in front of a critical audience and prepare for other presentations I have to give on this project.”The conference opens its doors and welcomes students, faculty and staff to attend. Questions and comments follow the presentations so the students can have experience with responding to their peers, teachers and mentors. All of this helps with preparing to enter the workforce, said past participants, or to go on to graduate school.Students need to submit a proposal to present at the conference by March 15. An electronic copy of a student’s research abstract must be sent to the administrative assistants of the College of Math and Sciences (charlene.keliiliki@byuh.edu) or Language, Culture, and Arts (michelle.campbell@byuh.edu). “Each proposal will be reviewed by the members of their respective college. The committee will either accept the proposal, accept with minor revisions, or ask the student for a more substantial revisions and resubmission. The colleges may also reject proposals it deems inappropriate for the conference or those of insufficient quality or rigor,” says conference information. “We invite proposals for papers, posters, performances, creative writing readings, art displays, and exhibitions. Students from all disciplines will have the opportunity to share their scholarly and creative accomplishments with the entire university community.”
Writer: Lauren Steimle ~ Multimedia Journalist
