More than 45 different research projects will be on display demonstrating the efforts of some of the brightest students and faculty at the UNM COE in an event that is free and open to the public.
Jay Parkes, IFCE chair, said the department hosts the showcase for two reasons – to raise the visibility of research being conducted in the department and to foster research collaborations of department scholars with others outside the department.
Parkes said one of the most interesting aspects of the event is the diversity of the research, which covers issues throughout the human lifespan like nutrition as well as community and social issues like treating people with PTSD or issues involving the LGBTQ community.
“The programs focus around wellness and well-being often with a focus on education,” Parkes said. “It makes a great one-stop shop for somebody who is interested in the research we’re doing or for someone looking for research partners.”
Martin Jones, assistant professor of educational psychology, said he is participating in the event to present his research, which looked into the social influence of friends in motivating individuals to succeed.
“One of the things I’ve been working on with my colleagues is why kids go to school,” Jones said. “What we’ve found is that about half of students think of school as a place to learn, and the other half think of it as a place to hang out with friends.”
All too often research focuses on the negative elements of social influences like bullying, he said. His research, however, has shown that positive relationships can be extremely beneficial to the educational success of an individual, and through collaboration hopes to figure out a way to boost these positive influences in a student’s life.
“I’m hoping that this research showcase provides a forum for teachers and school administrators to learn more about what UNM is doing and how we can help the schools,” Jones said. “But I also want it to be an opportunity for these schools to help us improve what we’re doing.”
Renee Euler, a graduate student in nutrition, said she got involved with her research project last year as a volunteer. She said she wanted to participate in the showcase to get her research into the public eye and raise awareness for future endeavors.
“My project is to try and see whether or not this family-based obesity intervention program has an effect on children and adults with regards to their sugar-sweetened beverage intake,” Euler said.
Euler said she attended the event last year and thought it was a great opportunity to broaden her horizons within her own field as well as providing her with an idea as to what she wanted to focus in.
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“It just opens your mind to the possibilities, as to what other people are looking at or investigating in our field,” Euler said. “It’s a great way to open your eyes to other possibilities.”
Parkes said students of all levels and backgrounds are encouraged to attend because the department works on real life issues for New Mexicans, and as students the research is relevant to them as people.
“It’s been a wonderful event over the past couple of years to really connect with others who can help us with our research and vice versa,” Parkes said.
The event will be held today from 5 to 7 p.m. at Travelstead Hall, just north of the Kiva auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public and anyone interested in the research being performed at the COE is welcome to attend, he said.
Tomas Lujan is a staff reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TomasVLujan.
