Undergrads Present Research At 3rd Annual Symposium

Undergraduate science researchers presented their work to peers and faculty members at Saturday’s Third Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, which was held in the Science Center atrium.

The symposium, hosted by the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association featured over 50 presenters, six student plenary speakers, and faculty discussion tables.

“The purpose for holding a symposium is to get people in research talking with one another,” said Zachary A. Katz ’10, outreach chair for the association. “We held faculty discussion tables for the first time for this reason. We want students to have that interaction.”

Throughout the day there were sessions where students were able to present their projects and answer questions. Several hundred visitors gathered, listening to the presenters.

“There’s two specific proteins that I’m studying,” Michael Q. Ding ’11 told onlookers. “We want to know what happens when they’re not there or when they malfunction.”

Ding started his project halfway through his freshman year. Today, as he awaits publication, he serves on a committee for the association.

“I find it amazing that a symposium like this didn’t exist before,” Ding said.

The keynote speaker, Provost Steven E. Hyman, a neurobiologist, spoke about the importance of sharing knowledge throughout the University’s scientific communities.

The keynote address echoed the association’s goal of diversifying fields represented in research.

“In contrast to other years, we wanted to branch out into other fields like psychology, environmental science, and physics,” association board member Carol Y. Suh ’11 said. “It was about showing students the diversity of research.”

For board members, it was important to represent many perspectives in plenary speakers, Suh said. Students focused on a variety of topics ranging from the role of science in academia and history to why students should pursue careers in medicine.

Student participants said they learned a great deal throughout the day.

“It was a great experience as a first year student to be able to present my work and to see other projects,” plenary speaker David A. Levary ’12 said. “Some projects I saw even gave me ideas for new directions in my research.”