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Undergraduate Research Forum exhibits student work, increased participation

By Sarah Buop, For The Miami Student

Miami University held its 21st annual Undergraduate Research Forum Wednesday, where students showcased a variety of creative and scholarly research projects.

Despite Miami's reputation as an undergraduate research university, and the benefits of conducting research as an undergraduate, only about four percent of students participated in the forum this year.

This is a one percent increase from previous years. Miami typically has around 475 to 560 students involved in the event each year.

Martha Weber, coordinator of undergraduate research, provided statistics on student participation in poster presentations since 2013. According to Weber, 434 students participated in 2013, 505 students participated in 2014 and 548 students participated in 2015.

"The number of students who present is determined by whether the student researcher and their faculty mentor agree that the research is ready to be presented," Weber said.

Miami student research involvement is on par with its peer institutions, with about 34 percent of Oxford undergraduates participating in some sort of research during their four years, according to the 2013-14 graduation survey.

However, many students who are not involved with the research forum do not realize the benefits and skills developed when presenting to an audience.

According to a study in Science Education, a research analysis of 76 students involved in undergraduate research said that 91 percent of the students referenced positive gains from their experience.

Joseph Johnson, psychology professor and director of the Office of Research for Undergraduates, discussed what Miami students could achieve from their experience.

"Participating in research as an undergraduate student has been shown to produce many benefits," Johnson said. "This includes not just direct research-relevant skills such as understanding the scientific process and specific research techniques, but also transferable academic skills, as well as broader personal and professional skills."

Johnson explained how presenting projects at the Undergraduate Research Forum not only provides a valuable experience in public speaking, but also helps students crystallize their knowledge through discourse of informing others about what they have done, how and why.

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Senior Mariah Guthrie participated in the poster presentation

Wednesday. She and a colleague conducted research on the manipulation of veggie burger texture through carrot content.

"I think the experience of participating in the Undergraduate Research Forum has been more of a learning curve that can lead to more in depth research," Guthrie said. "Now that I have conducted this research, if I were to do further research I would have a better background of food science and the scientific method."

Other research projects that were presented included a poster presentation by senior Kimberly Parent on Yik Yak and anonymity on social media, an oral presentation by sophomore Taryn Neubecker on stereotyping in the Greek community and hundreds of others.

Although many students are required to participate in the research forum for class, many leave interested and eager in conducting further research.

"I think the most interesting part of the research forum is finding out what other kinds of research projects are going on in other majors throughout Miami's campuses," Guthrie said. "I would recommend at least attending the forum if you don't conduct your own research."

According to Johnson, one of his primary goals is to increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented research fields, especially in the humanities and creative arts.

"There are great examples of inquiry-based learning, research and creative endeavors across all departments and programs here at Miami and we would like to showcase this broader notion of what 'research' means, beyond the stereotypical image of white lab coats in Pearson Hall and Hughes Hall," Johnson said. "We have begun outreach efforts to accomplish this, and for the first time this year we are including undergraduate exhibits from the College of Creative Arts in the Undergraduate Research Forum."

To encourage more participates, a new Office of Research for Undergraduates (ORU) has been made to help serve and guide students in any stages of the process, and who are interested in becoming more involved with hand-on research.

"The ORU continues providing assistance and support, such as by obtaining funding for projects or identifying other outlets for students to present or publish their work," Johnson said. "The ORU can also help students identify and apply for external research experiences such as during the summer and winter terms."