Undergraduates will get their chance to present research in this year's first Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium.
The event, which is organized by University College, is expected to fill the SUB with presentations by undergraduate students for 12 hours on Nov. 22.
More than 100 students are signed up for the event so far. Monday marks the deadline for submissions.
Erin Radcliffe, the symposium's program coordinator, said the event leaves students a lot of room for creativity because there is no theme. Undergraduates can present anything from research papers and cultural dances to studies on languages.
"We've really tried to make it informal in the sense that we want a lot of people there and we want it to be really accessible," Radcliffe said. "We're even inviting first-semester freshmen."
She said she expects a large number of participants, because students don't need to have a grant or be a professor's assistant.
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Seniors Marcello Bastea-Forte and Brad Swardson said they want to present four animated films.
Swardson said he wants to present his films for critique and demonstrate how a student interested in animation can make it all work.
"I think it's good to get the animation out there to show people," he said. "Most people don't know what's coming out of UNM."
Senior Rebekah Horsechief has been working on a project about the repatriation of American-Indian items back to tribes.
"This is quite an opportunity and venue to showcase my research and bring some attention to a larger audience regarding different issues in Indian country," Horsechief said. "Not too much is known about indigenous people, and this gives me a chance to bring to light an issue that is affecting all indigenous people at the microbial level."
Junior Stephanie Tran is planning on presenting a poster and research on biochemistry.
"I just hope that a lot of people show up to it," Tran said. "It's the first year, and I hope that people are interested. It's a great experience for UNM. I think that it's going to be very beneficial to students who are participating and to people who come by to get interested to participate in future years."
Peter White, dean of University College, and Radcliffe said the experience will be invaluable because students can use their presentations to get into graduate school, get a job, and promote an educational and research atmosphere at UNM.
"My main point is that UNM is a research university and we should be teaching our students how to do research," White said. "That's what we're here for."
Ten $500 scholarships, two $500 book scholarships, and one $100 Tom Cummings Engineering Prize will be awarded.
Radcliffe said there is plenty of room for projects. Students can present their projects in any media and can sign up online at the UNM Web site.
