UW Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Day Saturday

Hundreds of students from the University of Wyoming and community colleges around the state will showcase the best of research and innovation at UW’s Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Day Saturday, April 20.

For over 25 years, Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Day has showcased the best of undergraduate research from a variety of disciplines, not only on UW’s campus, but across the Cowboy State. Events include student poster presentations and oral talks showcasing students’ academic efforts, giving friends, family, instructors and the public an opportunity to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.  

“This is a day to showcase undergraduate scholarship and innovation from around Wyoming,” says Parag Chitnis, UW’s vice president for research and economic development. “This event reflects UW’s commitment to creating unique research opportunities and experiential learning for students around the state and its institutional support of world-class research across multiple academic disciplines around campus.”

Concurrent oral presentations are planned in UW’s Classroom Building beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at noon. Poster presentations will take place at the Wyoming Union from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Each student oral presentation is roughly 10 minutes long, with a five-minute question/answer session following. Friends, family members, mentors, colleagues and the public are encouraged to attend.

Topics will include research in agriculture; business; education; engineering; health sciences; biological and physical sciences; mathematical sciences; social sciences; and the arts and humanities.

In preparation for the event, students have had access to workshops and other resources to help them with abstract writing, developing oral presentations, designing posters and additional professional development tools.

Two awards will be given by Phi Beta Kappa. The first category honors a project that showcases excellence in nonvocational, nonprofessional or nontechnical studies. The second award is given to a project that articulates the interfaces between science and the human condition in a nuanced way that shows understanding and not simply consideration. Winners expertly knit together the physical, intellectual, ethical and social interfaces of the project.

Research and inquiry events are sponsored by the UW Research and Economic Development Division; the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences; the Honors College; Wyoming INBRE; the McNair Scholars Program; Phi Beta Kappa; Wyoming EPSCoR-IDeA; the Science Initiative; Student Affairs; Academic Affairs; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources; the College of Health Sciences; and the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium. The event also has been recognized by Gov. Mark Gordon in a proclamation celebrating Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Day.

For more information, email the Undergraduate Research Office at uroffice@uwyo.edu.