Office of Undergraduate Research hosts annual research symposium
University of North Florida student researchers presented their findings last week on topics that ranged from COVID-19's impact on stress levels to the history and structure of the Milky Way during the annual 2023 Undergraduate-Graduate Learning, Inquiry and Distinction Experimentation (U-Glide) Symposium.
Faculty, staff and fellow students in attendance were tasked with voting for their favorite posters out of the 56 presentations. Winners were announced during an awards ceremony following the symposium. Each award recipient received a gift card to the UNF Bookstore.
The U-Glide Symposium, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), is an annual interdisciplinary conference held during the fall semester granting undergraduate and graduate students a platform to share and present their research projects in poster format. By providing support to students interested in conducting thought-provoking research, the OUR helps UNF ignite a passion for learning and discovery through transformational education in a supportive environment that leads students to rewarding careers and lifelong success.Dr. Judith D. Ochrietor, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and associate professor of biology, discussed how beneficial student-led research is.
“Participating in research, scholarship, and creative activities (RSCA) as an undergraduate student provides an incredible foundation for these students,” said Ochrietor. “They not only gain discipline-specific skills, but also 21st century skills, both of which will prepare them for the opportunities and challenges they will encounter in graduate programs and their careers. It is exciting to realize that these students are the future movers and thinkers in their respective fields and that their passions were sparked by an intriguing research question they investigated with their faculty mentor.”
The 2023 U-Glide undergraduate and graduate winners chosen by their peers included:
Undergraduate: Matthew Eells and Gavin Dickinson
“Creating a Controlled Atmospheric Turbulence for Free Space Optical Communication: Design and Fabrication Approaches”
Mentor: Dr. Hemani Kaushal
Graduate: Dorian James, Phillip Baker, Mike Nilon, Evan Kilby and Aiden Jokomba
“Personal Health Monitoring of Basketball Team”
Mentor: Dr. Shyam Paryani
Locate a list of all presenters and their research topics in Digital Commons.