Butler University’s 26th annual Undergraduate Research Conference will be its biggest ever, with nearly 1,000 students and their mentoring faculty from 20 states coming to campus April 11 for a daylong event showcasing oral and poster presentations on topics as diverse as molecular biology and 17th-century opera.

Admission is open to the public, although advanced registration is encouraged. For more information, call 317-940-9581.

Rusty Jones, Interim Associate Director of Butler’s Center for High Achievement and Scholarly Engagement, said nearly two-thirds of the students presenting their research will be from outside Butler, with some coming from as far away as Massachusetts, Florida, and California.

This year’s conference is more than 20 percent bigger than any previous year’s—with nearly 600 presentations scheduled. Jones expects the event to continue to grow.

“This is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to show off their work,” he said. “We’re one of the only places doing something like this. The quality is absolutely first rate.

“It’s harder and harder to get into grad school. High-achieving students are doing everything they can to make themselves strong candidates, and participation in this event can really bolster their applications and help prepare them for graduate-level work.”

The Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) is open to all fields of study. This year’s theme is “Cultivating Intellectual Growth,” and, in keeping with the theme of “cultivation,” McKenzie Beverage, Butler’s sustainability coordinator, will showcase environmental awareness projects on Butler’s campus. That includes tours of the campus farm and LEED gold-certified Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts and the Pharmacy Building addition, as well as a glimpse of a new initiative to operate campus vehicles using student-produced biodiesel fuel.

Information about the presentations at the URC can be found at www.butler.edu/urc.

 

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822