CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Students from nine colleges and universities in West Virginia will be detailing more than 70 research projects during a virtual event Friday for Undergraduate Research Day, presentations that are normally staged at the State Capitol.
This year is the 18th for that event that typically is held in-person as part of the regular session for the West Virginia Legislature.
Because of the pandemic, the presentations were being moved online with opportunities for viewing scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Friday.
Those watching would have the opportunity to ask questions of student presenters between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Topics included biology, chemistry, computer science, education, health sciences, neuroscience, political science, physics and psychology.
“They cover all kinds of topics,” said Dr. Juliana Serafin, director of the division of science and research in the state Higher Education Policy Commission.
“The goal is really to showcase the work that our undergraduate students are doing in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), health care and social sciences.”
Serafin said the online format could work out to be a benefit.
“You’re actually not going to have to travel to view it. People from across the state can just go to the website and view the presentations, so I hope that a lot of people will take advantage of that,” she said.
A total of 50 judges will score the presentations with winners selected for each category.
Next year, Serafin said the hope was Undergraduate Research Day could return to the State Capitol.
“The networking is a really important part of it for students to meet others like themselves, to meet faculty from other institutions and to also meet their legislators and be able to talk to them about what they’re working on,” she said.
“(These are ) things that are very important to the State of West Virginia.”