UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Students at Penn State New Kensington will have the opportunity to present their research in a public forum at the ninth annual Research and Creative Exposition from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in the campus Athletics Center.
The exposition provides students, under the guidance of a faculty adviser, with the opportunity to choose a topic, conduct research, draw conclusions and present their information in a public setting. A concurrent job fair in the Athletics Center also gives students and visitors the chance to speak with potential employers from the region.
The competition is divided into two categories: posters and oral presentations. The poster category is designed to convey the project's significance to scholars in the field and potential significance to the general public. The student's written research is translated into a poster. Participants are judged on content, display and oral defense of their project.
The oral presentation category is designed to take written research and present it in an engaging 10-minute presentation. Presenters are judged on written materials, topic significance, objectives, methods, responsible knowledge, invention, preparation and delivery.
A panel of 10 reviewers from the campus and local businesses will evaluate each project. They will talk with students about their research, ask questions and take notes.
Last year, a record 89 students researched 49 projects that were exhibited in a poster format or delivered orally. Students explored a variety of issues, from building a 3-D printer to creating a wheelchair integrated human computer interface device, to studying room temperature and the effects on memory, to examining the life cycle of a lymphocyte.
The 3-D printer, built by electro-mechanical engineering technology students Tyler Leatherwood, Sage DeFrances, Ross Jubic, Brandon Kendall and Joe Trisoline, was a demonstration project. The group printed a plastic cog that will be used as a part for another printer under construction.
Career Day complements the research component by creating new opportunities for the students and faculty to build stronger contacts with local industries through sharing of career information while also highlighting the campus' many research and creative avenues.
Representatives from 34 companies discussed career options, internships and job opportunities for current students and recent graduates. Organizations attending Career Day represented a variety of fields, including business, engineering, science, information technology, psychology, marketing, administration of justice, communications, finance, accounting, social services and human services. Campus faculty also talked with the business representatives as companies focus on career paths within their organizations that relate to academic disciplines.
For more on the research exposition, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Academics/ugradresearch.htm.