Students from across the country will be presenting their research projects at the nineteenth Annual Student Research Conference on Friday, April 26, at WTAMU. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Classroom Center and the first floor of the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. Students will compete in a variety of categories and mediums. Students can present a paper, take part in a poster session, submit a completed paper, showcase a performance or submit a digital media entry.
“We will showcase student oral presentations, formal posters, and a variety of fine arts,” Dr. Bonnie Roos, research conference chair, said. “The visual materials will be on display in the JBK Legacy Hall. The oral presentations will be in one of the many associated conference rooms. All of the events are open to the public, and there are schedules available to anyone at the welcome desk, in the lobby outside Legacy Hall.”
Roos also encourages students not in the research conference to come out and support their friends.
“If you have friends involved in the conference, or if you’re curious about presenting next year, you should come by and cheer our students on, and ask them some questions about their work,” Roos said. “Even if you’re just having lunch, you should drop in to see what other students in your field are doing. The work that goes into these projects is really impressive.”
The conference is sponsored by The Department of Graduate School and Research, and will close with an awards reception. Winners will receive plaques and cash prizes totaling $2,000.
“I am very anxious, particularly as I’ve seen the abstracts,” Roos said. “The student work that’s being completed at WT this year is very inspiring.”
Other WT employees are interested in the multiple ways that the conference will be beneficial to students.
“I think the conference will help give students broader views, and will benefit people in two ways,” Martha Allred, Cornette reference librarian, said. “One, the students presenting will be able to learn from each other’s presentations, and two, students presenting will be able to share their ideas and research with other students. It sounds like a great opportunity to come together and learn. I think that research also helps students to prepare for additional studies and future projects. People will surely benefit by learning, and getting some good ideas.”
Some students look forward to the way the research from other students will benefit the faculty member and other students research in the future.
“I think it will be a good opportunity for students to benefit from each other’s research, and maybe learn more about each other’s projects if they’re interested,” junior Criminal Justice Policing major Rafee Almas said. “I think it’s also a good way for students doing research to show people what they’ve learned.”
The conference will also provide students a chance to show off their research and meet people that could become potential connections in the business world.
“I think it is important for students to learn to express their ideas professionally, no matter what they choose to do with their lives,” Roos said. “This conference gives them this opportunity.”
For Roos, the conference not only gives students a chance to showcase their research, but also serves as a reminder of how much talent WT holds among the student body.
“Sometimes both teachers and students underestimate the high quality of research done here at WT,” Roos said. “Every year I work on this conference, I am reminded of how intelligent, articulate, and talented our students really are. Finally, this conference offers a venue for students serious about their future careers and graduate schools to develop their résumés. Every presentation and poster is a line that sets you apart from other candidates, demonstrates your commitment to a field and makes you more competitive in national markets and graduate schools.”
