UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State undergraduate researchers participating in a campus-wide research event in April will be considered for Penn State University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy prizes. Previously named the Information Literacy Award, these awards are available at Penn State undergraduate campuses across the Commonwealth.
“The University Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Award provides a way that each Penn State campus can recognize outstanding work done by its students,” Hailley Fargo, student engagement librarian and the award’s coordinator, said. “Last year was a great year for our participating librarian judges to learn how to bring everyone together and give out this award in a systematic way. We also learned a lot last year about how each campus supports undergraduate research and what our students need to become scholars of their own. This year, we will be giving out our award at 19 campuses.”
The undergraduate student events — beginning at Penn State Schuylkill on April 3 and concluding at Penn State Berks on April 27, with the University-wide Undergraduate Exhibition held April 17 on the University Park campus — will feature a wide range and scope of individual and student endeavors encompassing research and creative expression. While an event’s name and approach may be distinctive at each campus, University Libraries faculty and staff will judge event submissions at all events University-wide following the same criteria.
“Undergraduate research is a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn more about what research can look like in their disciplines,” Fargo said. “At the University Libraries, we know that having strong information literacy skills is foundational for our undergraduate researchers to be prepared to participate in scholarly conversations. In giving out the University Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy, we are able to better understand how our students are conducting research. We continue to develop new and innovative ways the Libraries can enhance all Penn State students’ educational experiences and support the skills they need to succeed.”
For more information about the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy, visit https://libraries.psu.edu/about/awards-scholarships-internships-and-graduate-assistantships/university-libraries-undergraduate or contact Fargo at hmf14@psu.edu or 814-865-1850.