The Fall Creative Works and Research Event will be held Nov. 16 in the Convocation Center and online.
Scholarly achievements of Cal U students will be on display online and in person Nov. 16 during the 2021 Fall Creative Works and Research Event, sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research.
More than 50 students are expected to participate. In-person presentations will be given beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Convocation Center and are expected to wrap up by noon. Masks are required inside the building.
Students also have the option to record a video presentation of their poster. They will be posted https://www.calu.edu/inside/events/research/index.aspx on Nov. 16.
“This annual event is important for students because it gives them the practical experience of presenting at a conference-like event,” said Dr. Mark Tebbitt, a professor in the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences and event organizer.
For the second year, students have a virtual option to present their work from an individual project, class project, capstone experience or thesis.
“The virtual option has proven to be popular this year,” Tebbitt said. “Overall, that’s probably a good thing, if it encourages a student to participate who otherwise might not.
“And it’s the future of academic conferences as well. Having an online component makes them more accessible to a greater number of participants.”
Divonne Franklin and Kayla Latoza, both seniors majoring in biology with a concentration in pre-medicine, partnered to study the potential carcinogenic effects of a common type of food coloring.
“I learned you have to be patient with research,” Latoza said. “Divonne and I did countless spread plates and dilutions, and it took weeks before we finally found results that we almost missed if we wouldn’t have taken another look.”
Both anticipate the opportunity to present their work.
“This conference is a way to show off your work and to be able to present in a different setting other than a classroom,” Franklin said. “I also like to further develop my presentation and public speaking skills.”