Randy Roberts has participated in the Ohio University Student Research and Creative Activity Expo three years in a row, an experience he describes as “fantastic.”
Though the 26-year-old graduate student will not be able to attend this year’s expo, he said he is sorry to miss it and encourages everyone in Athens to attend.
His enthusiasm for the 12th annual OU Student Expo is not unique, as hundreds of students participated in this past year’s event.
The expo showcases the best undergraduate and graduate student research and creative activity the university has to offer.
“(The expo) is a great opportunity for both the university and the students,” said Liz Pahl, OU’s student expo coordinator. “The students benefit because they get to display their research in a professional setting. For the university as a whole, it’s a great reflection of the talent OU students have.”
The student expo will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on April 11 in The Convo, and registration for the event closes Feb. 24.
Registering is free and allows students to have their work judged by faculty, Pahl said.
“The first one had 45 students … last year there were over 600 presenters,” said Roxanne Malè-Brune, OU’s director of grant development.
Malè-Brune said that students are split into sessions according to their discipline, with the winner of a session receiving $200 and second place receiving $100.
“It was pretty beneficial not only academically, but professionally being able to do a project but also being able to present it to individuals,” said Ryan Lubbe, who graduated from OU this past semester with a degree in exercise physiology.
Lubbe, who won his session, said the expo was critical in helping him improve his communication skills.
“(The expo is about) trying to make research accessible to people that might be intimidated (by research) otherwise,” Malè-Brune said.
dd195710@ohiou.edu
