More than 50 UNM students presented their research findings Monday as part of the Program of Research Opportunities for Undergraduates first annual undergraduate research symposium.
"There are so many undergraduates who receive bachelor degrees without doing research," said program coordinator Theresa Lopez. "A research paper is not research."
Lopez said that Monday's symposium is an opportunity for students to practice public speaking skills, have their research published and maybe even have doors opened for them to national conventions while doing something worthy of putting on a rÇsumÇ.
"If you apply to graduate school, being published or attending a convention are going to increase your chances," Lopez said. "UNM is a major research university and many students do not take advantage of it."
With 27 departments being represented, the symposium featured a wide variety of research presentations ranging from the effects of art education on children to analyzing nuclear cross sections for spacecraft design.
Amy Farrar, a dance major, presented her research on lateral biases in the teaching of Cecchetti and Non-Cecchetti ballet classes at the symposium. She said her research was a long process and that during the course of her work, she learned a lot about herself.
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"Get yourself in a program that makes you do this," Farrar said. "You realize you can, and the sky is the limit."
Farrar said now that her interest is primed, she intends to do more research and encourages other students to do the same if "any question you have about something you love is not valid."
Isaac Cardona, a criminology and pre-law major, discussed his project on community policing among Hispanics.
"I'm still researching it," Cardona said. "So it is hard to tell what the conclusion will be."
Cardona said he has noticed a pattern with animosity toward police officers by Hispanics and how factors such as homeownership, language fluency and education levels affect that pattern.
Cardona has been working on his research for about six months and said that although the process has been hard, he is anxious about his findings being published.
Criminology major Elise Vigil and psychology major Joe Chacon's research was part of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Project. They compiled data from interviews about drug activity with people who had been arrested. Vigil and Chacon then created a map featuring the hot spots of Albuquerque based on zip codes and the numbers of transactions that occurred in the area.
"We thought this would be interesting and informative," Chacon said.
Chacon and Vigil said that while the actual research took a few years, the presentation part was easy because they knew the data so well.
Lopez said the research the students were doing was beneficial for the future and that when considering summer jobs, students should consider research opportunities.
"Instead of working at the mall, why not get a job you can put on your rÇsumÇ to help you later on," she said.
Lopez said UNM has multiple summer research programs and also helps students find programs at other campuses across the country.
"Obviously we do not have anything related to marine biology," she said. "But we can help you get to where you need to be."
