Students showcased their research projects Thursday at the M.D. Anderson Library. Photo by Nikki De Los Reyes | The Cougar.
UH’s annual Undergraduate Research Day held at the M.D. Anderson Library allowed more than 175 students, representing more than 11 colleges, to showcase their work for the public Thursday.
The event proved both entertaining and informative for attendees and important for the student presenters involved.
“Undergraduate Research Day is very important because it provides an opportunity for students to present whatever research they have been working on for the past year,” biology major Bilal Tariq said. “It’s an opportunity to show off what you have accomplished in regards to your studies.”
Students were able to conduct research and present their findings with the help of several organizations, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which assists students in their research.
“The SURF program this past summer has truly been a rewarding experience that added so much value to my undergraduate career here at the University of Houston,” Nada Qari, a chemistry major who spoke on the capability of Chalcogenide alloys to form diverse structures, said.
In addition to providing students an opportunity to share the end result of their efforts, Undergraduate Research Day also serves those students and members of the public who attend as audience members.
“It’s really cool because I’ve already seen several of my professors,” biology senior Juan Cuellar said. “It’s really kind of neat to…actually talk to people in my field about something that I’m maybe more specialized in and they aren’t. (It’s) neat to actually talk to them more as colleagues.”
Many of the speakers also recognized the event as an opportunity to display their ability and further their academic careers.
“The event creates this environment where new information is being transmitted from the researchers to people who attend the event,” architecture major Munjer Hashim said. “It’s an informal gathering depicting the beginning of many opportunities for the researchers.”
Monique Hall, a hotel and restaurant management junior who investigated the proportion of food service employees possessing a serve-safe certification, shared her feelings on the event.
“It’s really gratifying and humbling to be here. This was a challenge for me. I’ve never done research before. To challenge myself and to see the final product, to see all these students,” Hall said. “I’m really proud of myself.”
