Undergraduate Research Day: Celebrating Inquiry and Innovation

Undergraduate Research Day is an event dedicated to celebrating and promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity across all fields of study. It serves as a platform for students to showcase their original intellectual and creative contributions, fostering a collaborative environment between students and faculty members.

Defining Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research can be defined as “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline”-Council on Undergraduate Research. This definition highlights the importance of original work and contribution to a specific field of study. It is not limited to laboratory and scientific settings, new discoveries and contributions can also be made in literature, social sciences, education, business, and creative arts, which also all provide exciting avenues for experiential learning.

The Essence of Collaboration

Its central premise is the formation of a collaborative enterprise between student and faculty member-most often one mentor and one burgeoning scholar but sometimes (particularly in the social and natural sciences) a team of either or both. For West Georgia students, undergraduate research is often an evolving experience that they participate throughout their time on campus. Collaborative research projects allow students to further explore their areas of interest through hands-on work with faculty members.

Benefits of Engaging in Undergraduate Research

Early engagement in research increases both retention and graduation rates. The mission of the FVSU Undergraduate Research Program (URP) is to enhance student’s academic and professional success through increased participation in research. In addition, the program provides travel support to attend scientific, social science, and humanities conferences, as well as hosting the annual FVSU Research Symposium.

NCUR: A National Stage for Undergraduate Research

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity in all fields of study by sponsoring an annual conference for students. Unlike meetings of academic professional organizations, this gathering of student scholars welcomes presenters from all institutions of higher learning and from all disciplines. Overall, this conference offers a unique environment for the celebration and promotion of undergraduate student achievement; provides models of exemplary research, scholarship, and creative activity; and offers student career readiness development.

NCUR 2026 in Richmond, VA

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has selected the city of Richmond, VA to hold the 2026 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). In partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), NCUR 2026 will be an opportunity for undergraduate students and their mentors from around the world to present their research, celebrate their successes, and prepare for the future.

Important Dates for NCUR 2026

Group Hotel Booking Opens to the Public: August 21, 2025
Abstract Submissions Open: September 9, 2025
Call for Volunteer Abstract Reviewers Open: September 9, 2025
Call for Volunteer Abstract Reviewers Closes: November 14, 2025
Abstract Submission Closes: December 5, 2025
Abstract Decisions Released and Registration Opens: January 14, 2026
Early-Bird Registration Deadline: January 30, 2026
Registration Closes: March 6, 2026
NCUR 2026 in Richmond, VA: April 13-15, 2026

NCUR 2027 Announced

CUR has selected the city of Grand Rapids, MI to hold the 2027 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). In partnership with Grand Valley State University (GVSU), NCUR 2027 will be an opportunity for undergraduate students and their mentors from around the world to present their research, celebrate their successes, and prepare for the future. in the Rec Center large ice rink conference room. This meeting room is on the entry level. There will be a sign “UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY” near the entrance. Once through the turnstiles, there will be signage directing you to the meeting room. You may be asked by the front desk staff what event you are attending.

Examples of Undergraduate Research Projects

Undergraduate research spans a wide array of disciplines. Here are some examples of research projects presented by undergraduate students:

Biopharmaceutical Industry Reaction to the Inflation Reduction Act

Henry Dao from the Center for Integration of Science and Industry, with faculty advisors Gregory Vaughan and Fred Ledley, analyzed the biopharmaceutical industry’s response to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by examining R&D spending, equity investment, M&A, and licensing in the six quarters following passage of the IRA compared to the previous six quarters. The study showed R&D spending by large manufacturers, biotechnology equity offerings, and M&A of firms with products in development were all higher in the six quarters following the passage of the IRA than the previous six quarters, with a particularly significant increase in acquisitions of firms with product candidates in Phase 2 clinical trials. This analysis suggests that companies are following that strategy.

Healthcare Efficiency: A Longitudinal Analysis of Spending and Outcomes in OECD Countries

Alejandro Losada from the Honors Program, with faculty advisor Dhaval Dave, presented a study that provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis on how variation in healthcare spending-including private and public allocation-maps into variation in health outcomes across nations and over time. Analyses are based on longitudinal data of all 38 OECD countries through an extended time period of 1960 to 2023. The results from these models are used to inform drivers of efficient vs. inefficient health care systems and derive a ranking of high-income countries in terms of this efficiency metric.

Read also: Undergraduate Research at CU

The Gig Economy and Income Inequality

Utsah Hemendra Thakur from the Honors Program, with faculty advisor Dhaval Dave, explored the spatio-temporal relationship between the participation of workers in the gig economy and income inequality. Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys (ACS) to compute consistent state-specific measures of participation in the gig economy and income inequality over the past two decades. Analyses are based on panel data methods, which account for various coinciding changes in national and state economic conditions over this time period in order to disentangle the plausibly causal role of the gig economy.

Pricing Of American Stock Options

Emerson Mallis, a Student Research Assistant with faculty advisor Jackson Lautier, presented research on a new model for pricing tail volatility and the underlying derivatives through multiple regimes switching simulation and examination of payouts throughout the simulation. Selected options chains were tracked across multiple weeks to observe the progression realized pricing comparative to our models’ outputs to examine the effectiveness of the pricing techniques and how our model reacted to changes in the underlying assets over time.

Creative Expression: Rome Beyond the Postcard

Sabrina Cardaropoli from the Honors Program, with faculty advisor Maik Stanitzke, presented a final project, Rome Beyond the Postcard, includes 37 edited photos in a slideshow format with captions under each image, giving the photo some context. This project depicts the effects of tourism in the city of Rome, Italy through the use of photography. This allowed me to obtain different perspectives of the city, showcasing how it looks from the point of view of someone living there.

Death by a Thousand Phrases

Emily Racz from the Honors Program, with faculty advisor Kristin Sorensen, aimed to foster interest and collaboration in phrases, idioms, and expressions that are an important part of how humans speak to one another to get points across, make comparisons, or connect at different levels. Unifying the collection is a window as the center of each painting, symbolizing the reflection which forms the basis of the project. The project is situated within the context of modern hustle culture and its impacts on the intrinsic joy derived from hobbies.

The Fallacy of “Crimmigation”

Jaden Hecht from the Honors Program, with faculty advisor Alison Guzman, created a painting to symbolize how prominent US politicians convince the American public that immigrants are one of the main causes of crime in the US. This artwork intends to help people understand that there are two sides to the story, and that the rhetoric these politicians are conveying to the American public creates discrimination, stereotypes, and hatred, not just towards undocumented immigrants, but also general migrant populations.

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Creating an Effective Research Poster

Pictures from 2023's conferencePlease create a poster of your research using the URD Powerpoint template which has the dimensions 24" x 36". If you do not use the template, your poster may be printed smaller than you wish (i.e., your poster will not be printed larger than 24" x 36" regardless of the size you send).

Poster information frequently includes the following sections:

Introduction or Background: Provide the rationale for your study. Give people an idea of the important research in the area, and the theory and empirical work that lead to your hypothesis. Sufficient background information, definitions and relevant formulas should be used to help the reader understand the nature of the investigation.
Methods: Describe the subjects, procedure, design, materials and measures of your study. Figures and flow charts can be used to illustrate experimental design, if applicable.
Results: This section presents what you found in your study. This section includes your statistical analysis and tables and/or figures showing your data. Figures and tables should include legends.
Conclusions: What important points should we take away from your study? What are the implications for future research?
References & Acknowledgements: These sections typically appear at the end of the poster.

(Posters will ONLY be printed at 24" x 36"!

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