Thursday, May 9, 2013

Undergraduate Research Day 2013

"Welcome to a celebration of Undergraduate Research across the disciplines!" So begins Dean Donahue's letter greeting all guests and students to Hofstra University's 2013 Undergraduate Research Day. The fair, attended by countless students and staff, including Provost Berliner, packed the 246 East Library Wing with projects that spanned from poetry and art to physics and psychology, each showcasing the effort student's have put in throughout their academic careers.

"It's a really cool event," said Senior Creative Writing major, Elyse Suter, whose senior thesis Not a Soul, made use of both visual collage and verse. "I was stoked to be invited because not many people see what I do as very research intensive, but it is.  It isn't just academic research, it's my life's research." When asked about how she felt in the midst of so many different kinds of projects, Suter proclaimed, "I'm really excited to look at what other students have done. I'm all about it."

Senior Physics major, Stephen Ferdinand, concurred with Suter's sentiment. "I do all of my work at Berliner Hall, so don't get to see much research outside of the sciences. It's great to see what everyone else is up to." Ferdinand's project analyzed the little-known phenomenon called sonoluminescence, whereby bubbles confronted by high frequency sound waves release so much energy while collapsing that they emit light.

Senior Speech Communication major, Bari Morchower, summed it up thus, "This is my first time presenting or even attending, and I can't say enough about this event. It really gives people a chance to share their hard work with others." Morchower's project examined the nonverbal elements of communication between President Obama and Governor Christie in their iconic photo following Superstorm Sandy.

Students across every discipline applauded the work of their peers. "You really get to see the rigor involved in their studies," said Junior Psychology major Nicole Melita. "A lot of the time we hear what students are doing on campus and now you can see it coming to fruition," added her research partner and fellow Psychology major, Alex Barkley (also a Junior). "It's important to have this available because we students really are the face of the future."

"I'm really impressed with how many departments are represented here," concluded Physical Education major, Faith Rialem, as she observed the students bustling around her. "It's a great way to sum up the semester's work."
















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