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Undergrads to show off research April 24

April 17, 2012

Undergraduate Research and Artistry DayLike most universities, Northern Illinois University is a hub for research and discovery. Unlike at many other schools, however, NIU undergraduates get in on the action.

On Tuesday, April 24, more than 200 of those students will show off projects ranging from research aimed at curing cancer to creating greater understanding of cyber-bullying to work that illuminates the history of grave robbers in DeKalb County.

Those projects will be part of NIU’s Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day, scheduled from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center.

An awards ceremony will wrap up the event at 3 p.m.

The campus community and the public at large are invited to attend. Admission is free.

“At Northern Illinois University, we place a premium on providing students with opportunities for learning that extend far beyond the classroom, and nothing better illustrates the success of those efforts than Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day,” said NIU Provost Raymond Alden.“Every piece of work on display at this event represents not only knowledge acquired by our students, but also new knowledge and new artistry created.”

The day includes work by some of the most motivated students on campus, said Julia Spears, director of NIU’s Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning, which coordinates the event. “It’s amazing to see the level of work that these students are capable of, and the quality of support and mentoring that they receive from faculty to advance those efforts,” she said.

Students participating in the event represent a variety of programs on campus, including Research Rookies, Undergraduate Special Opportunities in Artistry and Research and the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, as well as students completing capstone projects in many different fields of science and engineering.

A panel of judges will evaluate the projects based upon quality of the abstract, accuracy of the data, how well it is presented and various other factors. At the end of the day, awards ranging from $50 to $200 will be given to the top projects in the categories of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Social Science, Health, Humanities, Arts.

For more information, call (815) 753-8154 or email engage@niu.edu.