VSU Presents Undergraduate Research Symposium April 15-19

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University will present its 25^th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium April 15-19.

“We have a total of 307 students participating in the oral presentations, poster presentations, and video presentations,” said Dr. Lavonna Lovern, co-coordinator of undergraduate research at VSU.

“The submissions represent a great deal of diversity. The research submitted this year represents our best and brightest. These students have worked with faculty mentors and have produced outstanding research in their fields. This is a significant part of the VSU experience as it represents the move from student to professional.”

All undergraduate students at VSU are encouraged to submit proposals to the Undergraduate Research Symposium each year. Selection decisions are made at the academic department or college level.

Lovern said the Undergraduate Research Symposium features original research from every college at VSU — Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of the Arts, and James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services. This research reflects the university’s unwavering commitment to provide students experiential learning opportunities that enhance their critical thinking skills and give them a greater understanding of their chosen field of study.   

Admission to all Undergraduate Research Symposium events is free of charge. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, retirees, and friends of the university are invited to attend.

VSU is committed to increasing the opportunities available for undergraduate students to participate in research through specialized courses, engagement in internships and service learning, and other opportunities. This has many benefits, according to the university’s Council on Undergraduate Research, as students who engage in research activities are able to build relationships resulting in enhanced learning with their faculty mentors, are more likely to be retained, are more likely to pursue advanced degrees, have an increased knowledge base of research methodology, and are more likely to promote an innovation-oriented culture.

Contact Dr. Lavonna Lovern at (229) 333-7376 or llovern@valdosta.edu for more information.