After countless hours of hard work, there is no better feeling than being able to present your research to the community. The desire to do research stems from the curiosity that comes from true passion. It is a desire that the University of Wisconsin-Superior actively encourages through its programs.

On October 10, the UWS Undergraduate Research Symposium gave the opportunity for student researchers to showcase their work. Thirty-two students prepared a research poster and oral presentation for the symposium.

Both TRIO McNair Scholars and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students presented research from a variety of disciplines. Project topics included: Art Therapy and Nature, Economic Growth in South Asia, Musical Pedagogy, Video Games, Medical Research and many more.

“It’s a really good opportunity for students,” said Kaito Tsuchida, a political science and peace studies major. “I don’t know of many schools doing this. You get to do research and choose the topic yourself. You get experience.”

Tsuchida conducted undergraduate research through the SURF program on segregated education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His mentor was Khalil (Haji) Dokhanchi, a professor from the Social Inquiry Department.

In his senior year, Tsuchida is no stranger to presenting.

“In the last three years I got used to giving presentations, but I didn’t do it in a formal way, mostly just in class. So the experience helped me,” he said.

The university’s SURF program connects student researchers with a mentor and provides funding for summer research. Students can participate in a 100- or 200-hour project on the topic of their choosing.

The McNair program at UW-Superior also provides funding and faculty mentors for its students. The program helps qualifying students prepare for graduate school through both summer research and program activities.

“The one-on-one, just presenting your poster, was very nice to actually ease you into the presentation,” said Taylor Powell, a McNair scholar and psychology major at UWS. “You get to know more of the crowd, which makes it less daunting. I remember some of the people who came up to my poster ended up in my room and the fear of them not having questions was gone, because they had already had questions.”

Powell did her project on the effects of informal caregiving on students under Human Behavior, Justice, and Diversity professor Kenna Holz.

The symposium gave mentors the chance to watch their students present in a formal setting. Mentors play a huge role in the success of student research. These faculty members share their knowledge and help students navigate research in their respective disciplines. Mentors offer up their time to support students attaining their goals. They are endlessly deserving of praise and thanks.

“Taylor did a fantastic job, and I was excited to see her present at the research symposium,” said Holz. “Mentoring McNair students is a wonderful experience. The McNair program provides a lot of structure and support, so I can focus with the student on completing their project.”

Dokhanchi shares a similar fondness for the symposium. Dokhanchi mentored two SURF student presenters; overseeing Tsuchida’s project and another project on menstruation education in Wisconsin.

“I could not be more proud of all our students who participated in the Research Symposium,” said Dokhanchi. “Next to graduation and senior thesis presentations in May each year, this is my favorite academic activity on our campus. It’s amazing to see how the participants develop their thesis and also what they actually do about developing a research paper around those
ideas. I would really like to thank the URSCA program for sponsoring such a wonderful academic event.”

The symposium came together through the efforts of multiple UWS organizations and staff members – these efforts, along with 32 excellent presentations, made this year’s research symposium a great experience.

By Olivia Fleming, English major and student writer for UWS.