Senior physics major Daniel Mabe of Winston-Salem was among Appalachian State University students presenting at the 13th Annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium in November. Photo submitted
BOONE, N.C.—More than 40 undergraduate Appalachian State University students attended the 13th Annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium held at Campbell University in November.
The disciplines they represented included biology, computer science, economics, English, applied design, physics and astronomy, and sustainable development.
“Student-faculty engagement in research, scholarship and creative expression is a hallmark of the Appalachian undergraduate student experience,” said Provost Darrell Kruger. “These high-impact academic experiences are truly transformational. They prepare our graduates to enter the workforce or graduate school equipped to improve the world.”
Among the students was Daniel Mabe, a senior physics major from Winston-Salem who researched the isotopes of carbon and oxygen in planet-forming regions around young stars.
He said the experience taught him valuable research skills needed for graduate school and a scientific career, as well as time management and work accountability.
“Through working with a faculty member (Dr. Rachel Smith), I have learned how to properly conduct and present research in a professional setting. While I had conducted research before, presenting the research was a new trial. My mentor was able to help me with the entire process of creating the poster as well as general presentation skills,” Mabe said.
Junior physics major Lucas Smith presents his research related to carbon isotope chemistry during the 13th Annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium in November. Photo submitted
Smith with faculty member Dr. Rachel L. Smith. Photo submitted
Appalachian was among 39 academic institutions attending the symposium. Students from across the state delivered over 370 research/creative performance presentations, with Appalachian hosting the second largest number of undergraduate research presentations.
About Student Research at Appalachian
Appalachian encourages student research, which gives the opportunity to work side by side with professors on meaningful research or creative endeavors and then present findings at regional, national and international conferences. Students who understand how discoveries are made in their chosen fields are well prepared to address the unsolved problems of the future. The Office of Student Research (OSR) was established in 2005 to expand the opportunities, including financial support, for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in research and mentored scholarship at Appalachian. Learn more at http://osr.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, Appalachian enrolls about 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
