Graduate and undergraduate students from many colleges and disciplines are presenting and defending more than 550 research projects during Texas A&M’s 11th annual Student Research Week, which began Monday.
Some projects are based on individual research while others have been compiled by teams. Competition began at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in Rudder Tower with poster and oral competitions.
More than 1,000 participants are involved this year, said Zach Schaeffer, graduate communications student and assistant director of SRW.
“This is a huge jump from last year. We will be giving over 150 awards and 120 first place plaques this year,” he said. “There will also be cash drawings for the participants.”
Students will be defending their projects through oral presentations Monday through Thursday, and poster presentations will be on display at the Rudder Exhibit Hall all week. Most graduate degree programs require students to participate in research, along with undergraduate students who are presenting their research.
“I am impressed with the variety of projects I have seen so far and the caliber of graduate researchers we have at A&M,” said senior mechanical engineering student, Chris Olsen.
Olsen said he began undergraduate research in the summer with a team of graduate and undergraduate students.
All events and presentations are open to the public. Classes of high school students have been invited to visit Rudder Tower and see some of the presentations as well, Schaeffer said.
Cecelia Grady, who is pursuing a master’s degree in animal science, said she has known about SRW since December. She has been preparing her research presentation on the effects of fatty acid supplements in stallion semen quality for a month now.
“There are not a lot of people from my department presenting,” Grady said. “I am glad for the chance to be here and the opportunity to present my research. There is so much going on at Texas A&M; many students only know the work that is in their own departments.”
According to the University Division of Research and Graduate Studies, A&M is one of the nation’s leading public research universities. With nearly $570 million invested in research, A&M ranks among the top 20 research Universities nationwide. The faculty is recognized worldwide, and their dedication has resulted in nationally ranked graduate degree programs, enrolling more than 8,500 students.
Tomas Martinez-Trinidad, a doctoral student of ecosystems science and management, said that this is his second year to participate in SRW.
“I would recommend this to anybody, but this was a great experience for me to be in front of judges and in front of an audience to present [in English,] which is not my native language,” Martinez-Trinidad said. “When I return to Mexico after finishing my Ph.D, I will be hired to a university there and continue my research.”
Schaeffer said he hopes to see many undergraduate students at SRW, especially those who are considering graduate work.
“This is a great opportunity for undergraduates to see what graduate work entails. Come check it out – it is free.”