Students presented research in 10-minute oral presentations to a panel of judges or displayed it in poster format at last year’s Student Research and Creative Works Symposium. This year’s event will take place on Feb. 15. Photo by Lee Choo.

An array of topics ranging from the advantages of retrofitting water fountains on campus to an analysis of post-Station Fire debris flow in the San Gabriel Mountains to the regulatory focus on fast-food eating habits will be examined on Friday, Feb. 15, at California State University, Northridge’s 17^th Annual Student Research and Creative Works Symposium.

The symposium highlights undergraduate and graduate student achievement in various subjects at all levels in their academic careers. It also serves to inform the campus community of the quality, diverse research and creative work that is being done by CSUN students. This year, 42 disciplines will be presenting. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.

“This annual event provides our students with the opportunity to present their research before their peers and faculty judges in a professional setting — honing their presentation skills before they present at regional or national conferences,” said Hedy Carpenter, associate director for graduate programs. “We encourage both our undergraduate and graduate students to get their feet wet and build their confidence and their resumes by showcasing their work.”

About 160 students are expected to participate this year. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Student Union’s Northridge Center. It is jointly organized by the offices of Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies. In addition, the symposium has received funding this year from the Associated Students and University Student Union.

The presentations will be judged by about 68 faculty members representing 42 disciplines. Cash awards will be given to the outstanding first- and second-place winners of $200 and $100 respectively for the oral presentations in each session. First and second place awards will also be given to poster presentation participants.

“Those who study how knowledge is acquired have known for decades that students learn best by doing,” said biology professor Robert Espinoza, a faculty adviser and judge. “The best training we can give our students for jobs, graduate and professional programs and the real world is research with faculty mentors who are themselves active researchers in their respective fields. This promotes student-centered research to students who may not be aware of such opportunities.”

“The academic institution is all about the sharing of knowledge,” said science and engineering librarian Christina Mayberry, another judge. “This symposium offers a great opportunity for the campus community to learn about research being done by students across the campus.”

For more information about the symposium, visit the graduate students events website.

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