UTSA undergraduate students have a couple of ways to show off their academic explorations this spring, including the annual inquiry showcase and publication in UTSA’s peer-reviewed journal.
The university’s annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry Showcase will include a week of in-person and virtual events from April 18-22, in conjunction with National Undergraduate Research Week.
All events are open to the public, and will offer attendants the opportunity to see students present their research and creative work on a broad range of subjects. UTSA students are encouraged to come view and critique the presentations. Students who submit at least three poster critiques will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
UTSA will kick off the showcase at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 18, with a virtual welcome. The run-down of events for the week are as follows:
- Tuesday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Poster Competition Sessions; Creative and Literary Presentations
- Wednesday, April 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Oral PowerPoint Presentations
- Thursday, April 21, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 3-Minute Research Competition
- Friday, April 22, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Virtual Awards Ceremony
“UTSA provides so many opportunities for undergraduate students to get incredible hands-on experience in research labs and by contributing to scholarly work under the mentorship of our Tier One faculty,” said Darrell C. Balderrama, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “This university-wide showcase allows students to proudly share their work and articulate the marketable skills they’ve gained from their experiences.”
In 2010, the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) began designating a week in April each year to celebrate undergraduate research at a national level. Several UTSA students showcased their work on a national stage during CUR’s recent National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Thirteen students presented at the virtual event: Marisol Russell, Gretel Viquez, Rachel Victoria, Sara Timmons, Gabriela Maldonado, Marissa Benavides, Alexa Alvarez Lopez, Valeria Mireles, Erika Colunga, Kendall Cooper, Matthew Mangum, Teresa DeGennaro, and Marissa Benavides. UTSA had the second highest number of accepted abstracts at this year’s NCUR conference from the UT system.
Another opportunity for undergraduate students to share the results of their research is through the UTSA Journal of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Works. The peer-reviewed academic journal presents scholarly work from undergraduate students from UTSA and across the country. The journal is accepting submissions through June 1.
The Office of Undergraduate Research works to initiate a collaborative network of programs to engage and support undergraduate students’ participation in research and scholarly activities in all areas of academic inquiry. As part of Academic Affairs’ division of Career-Engaged Learning, the Office of Undergraduate Research directly supports the university’s Classroom to Career Initiative that focuses on promoting career-engaged learning, expanding experiential learning opportunities, and creating career-ready graduates. As part of its 10-year strategic plan, UTSA aims for 75% of its undergraduate students to participate in some type of experiential leaning by the time the graduate.
In February, UTSA achieved Tier One designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, a status that places the university among the nation’s top public and private research-intensive institutions. UTSA offers many year-round and summer research training and support programs for undergraduates. Through these and other opportunities, Roadrunners get to make original contributions to their chosen discipline or field of study through faculty-mentored research, scholarship and creative activity.
