Up and Coming: Undergraduate Research Day

Justin Roberts shows an interested passeryby the project that he and his team have been working on all semester: an Andriod app that helps the user find the nearest gas for the best value. 
Photo by Brittany Strother 

Thursday, April 16 saw the 8th in a series of events rapidly becoming one of the most important programs at Concord University. The culmination of a year’s worth of work for many, the 8th annual Undergraduate Research Day was held in the Concord University ballroom. Undergraduate Research Day is sponsored by the McNair Scholarship Program and the Concord University Department of Psychology. 

It lasted from 9:30 A.M to about 3:30 P.M, and many people were in attendance, either to present, to listen, to give support, or to earn credit for classes. Outside of the actual event, several different tables were set up, where many different universities, Concord included, attempted to coax undergraduate students into joining one graduate program or another. Inside, undergraduate students from many different years and disciplines showed off their findings or presented research. The papers were read first, and after a light lunch, the poster presentation began.

There were around 84 posters on display this year at Undergraduate Research Day. As almost every Department had a representative in this year’s Research Day, a great variety of topics were presented and discussed, from things like “Stereotypes in Disney Movies” to “Social Media Use in Those with Anxiety Problems” to “Dietary Effects of Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness.” The students who entered and presented were involved in a variety of programs including the McNair Scholars Program and the Honors program, as well as students working on senior theses and students collaborating with faculty members to present their findings at this event. Some professors even offer extra credit to those that choose to participate in Undergraduate Research Day. 

While many papers and posters were produced during the preparation for Undergraduate Research Day, the final product of some of these projects amounted to more than charts and hypotheses. For example, Jonathan Collins, Charlotte Rose Hamilton, and Justin Roberts developed a fully functional app for smartphones that allows a user low on fuel to find a gas station within their proximity with the most value for their time and money. All they would have to do is punch in their fuel efficiency, a radius around the phone to scan, and in no time at all, a plethora of fueling stations were on display. In this way, the user of this app would save time, money, and whatever gas they would have wasted searching for a gas station in the first place. 

Overall, students were very receptive to the Undergraduate Research Day. Many of them were quite excited to be there, and many were confident that this event helped them get some skills that they could use out in the real world. 

Audra Haynie, a senior in the Education Department, said “The reason I am here is because it was part of a course. It was my very first research project so it was beneficial for me. We have a lot of diversity here with all of these projects. I like that. I’d also encourage students to do this if they can. It’s been very enlightening.” 

Cameron Quinn, a senior and a Biology major, concurred. He said, “It’s an event that gets people interested and involved in their majors and it also gives them a chance to see what the other majors are up to. I’d definitely recommend it to one and all.”

During a greeting from Concord University President Dr. Kendra Boggess, she stated that students who engage in Undergraduate Research Day here at Concord University gain a greater respect for research in general and that that spirit can help them later on down the road. Judging by the immense popularity and approval of students and faculty alike, it would seem like a fair assessment. One can only imagine how this event may grow and evolve in years to come!