A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Over the past academic year our students have been hard at work on their individual or team research and creative projects. Some of them have completed these projects as part of a course, as a capstone project, or even to achieve departmental honors recognition. Given the limitations placed on us by the current COVID-19 crisis, the University has created a virtual site for students at the University of Mary Washington to showcase their work, and for the UMW community to give them feedback and encouragement. Please visit http://umwrcd.net/ for the online application and for a list of presentations and presenters.
Applications are through the Google form on this website under the tab Applications. Student submissions will be due by midnight April 17, 2020. The Virtual Symposium will begin, here on this site, on April 23, 2020 and continue through midnight April 24, 2020.
These quandaries are a sampling of issues that nearly 400 students from the University of Mary Washington will tackle at the Undergraduate Student Research and Creativity Day Symposium on Friday, April 24.
The event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on students’ last day of class, will be located at the Information and Technology Convergence Center (ITCC), with related activities taking place in other academic buildings. The Ridderhof and duPont galleries displaying student artwork will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The symposium, now in its ninth year, represents students from 20 major disciplines, including natural sciences, humanities, modern and ancient languages, social sciences, visual and performing arts, mathematics and computer science. Students will present their works to other UMW students, faculty and the community.
According to Grant Woodwell, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, the symposium gives students the outlet to present their semester-long research in a creative way.
“The day helps to highlight the best that we have to offer as an institution of liberal arts and sciences,” said Woodwell. “We are justly proud of the many students who engage in independent learning activities and have had the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor.”
The Research and Creativity Day Symposium, which began in 2007, has changed locations over the years, most recently taking place at Jepson Hall in 2014. The ITCC will serve as home to the symposium this year, and is projected to be a permanent location for the event in the future.
Woodwell, who also organized the event, is excited to bring students’ research to life utilizing the ITCC’s space and resources.
“We are looking forward to a spacious display of posters distributed throughout the ITCC,” said Woodwell. “The space will allow better interaction between the student authors and their visitors.”
The presentations represented various disciplines, including the arts, humanities, history, mathematics, sciences and social sciences.
“I’m so interested in classics and I enjoyed seeing other people get excited about it too,” said sophomore Carly Tarne, who attended a presentation of classics majors’ senior theses.
Topics ranged from environmentally friendly packing peanuts and fictional stories, to the effects of stress and a sustainable analysis for expanding UMW.
“It’s the seventh year and each year it’s been growing in participants,” said Grant Woodwell, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We hope the growing trend continues.”
Students presented their work in the form of oral presentations, poster sessions, art exhibits and music and dance performances.
“One of the best things was to see people’s reactions. They were involved and asked a lot of questions,” said freshman Yireda Jilili, who presented with classmates as part of her freshmen seminar course. “I definitely want to participate again.”
Student Research and Creativity Day is funded by the Class of 1959 Endowment.