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25th annual Research and Arts Forum will showcase work of over 900 students

April 7, 2023
The outside of Breslin Center on Jan. 23, 2023.
The outside of Breslin Center on Jan. 23, 2023. —
Photo by Audrey Richardson | The State News

More than 900 students will present research projects at the 25th annual Undergraduate University Research and Arts Forum, or UURAF, on Friday, April 14. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their work to their peers, faculty and judges who will provide constructive feedback. 

This year, UURAF will be a hybrid event, held both at the Breslin Center and online. Virtual presentations will be showcased from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Director of Undergraduate Research Korine Wawrzynski said UURAF gives students an opportunity to "come together" and "showcase the research and creative scholarship" they've worked on.

This year’s exhibition will feature roughly 600 posters. In past years, Wawrzynski said, the artistic work showcased has taken the form of films, music and graphic design. There were over 1,000 creative submissions this year.

Undergraduate research projects span across every major that MSU offers, providing a “multidisciplinary education, according to Wawrzynski.

“I think when people think of research, they often think of test tubes," Wawrzynski said. "We certainly have that type of research here, but nearly every single major on campus — those faculty are engaging in research or creative scholarship and there is probably an undergraduate student working with probably almost half of them.”

Past research projects include an analysis of how social media affects the outcome of elections, how medicine labels could be made more effective and how retirees can better manage their health care.

A Graduate School Recruitment Fair will coincide with the presentations for the first time this year, giving students a look into educational, research and career programs at MSU.

“I think students sometimes get so attached to their college or major that you kind of forget about what happens at the rest of campus,” Wawrzynski said. “This is a great way to showcase some of the best work that our undergraduate students are working on.”

An awards ceremony, open to the public, will be held on Wednesday, April 26 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility.

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