43 Strong, Eastern Represents in Georgia at National Conference

by Michael Rouleau

Willimantic, CT (04/23/2019) — Forty-three students from Eastern Connecticut State University traveled to Georgia on April 11-13 to present original research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). The 2019 conference occurred at Kennesaw State University and featured hundreds of undergraduate students from across the country.

Eastern was among the top 20 schools nationwide for NCUR participation this year - the only school from New England to make the list - and one of the few with a student population of less than 6,000.

Eastern students from a range of majors presented artwork, music performances and oral/poster presentations. Research questions probed topics such as the microbiome of scorpions, the link between casual sex and online dating, pop-culture glamorization of eating disorders, and much more.

Music major Esther Jones '20 commented on the experience of performing a lecture-recital. "This experience at NCUR was a milestone in my life because I didn't think that I could actually do it when the time finally came around. I thought that I would be trembling so badly that my mind would go blank."

Jones' piano performance was titled "'Theme and Variations on an Egyptian Folksong' by Gamal Abdel-Rahim." She added, "This experience helped to boost my confidence and has given me courage to face new challenges."

"One of my greatest takeaways from this conference is how it pushes you and makes you a better academic," said Michael Tuttle '19, who majors in psychology and mathematics.

"Presenting at a conference subjects your research to a higher level of scrutiny, challenging your thoughts and ideas. When audience members ask questions and offer suggestions, it pushes you to think critically and creatively." Tuttle's presentation was titled "Overconfidence and Impulsivity of College Students in a Cognitive Reflection Task."

Biology major Chris Shimwell '20 presented "Molecular Identification of the Scorpion Telson Microbiome." He said, "Presenting at a national conference is a valuable experience because it allows you to synthesize information into an audio-visual format and present it to others who are highly educated and knowledgeable about your field."

Jacob Dayton '19, a biology major who presented two projects - one on the genetic diversity of a migratory bird group and one on the behaviors of strawberry poison-dart frogs - added that the value of presenting at national conferences is threefold.

"One, it provides students with the opportunity to practice communicating their research to a diverse audience. Two, questions and comments from audience members challenge students to defend and/or expand their thinking. And three, it provides the opportunity to publicize Eastern and the quality research that its students are conducting."

Students also cited being exposed to new research questions during others' presentations, interacting with peers from across the country, and sharing the NCUR experience with their Eastern friends as highlights of the conference. Psychology Professors Carlos Escoto and James Diller and Biology Professor Patricia Szczys accompanied the Eastern group.

NCUR was established in 1987. From a pool of several thousand applicants, students are accepted into the conference if their research demonstrates a unique contribution to their field of study. NCUR offers undergraduates the opportunity to present their research findings to peers, faculty and staff from colleges and universities across the nation, providing a unique networking and learning opportunity.

Written by Michael Rouleau

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