Student Research

Student Research Day allows students to present their work to an audience, one that can include their family, classmates, instructors, and friends. There are currently three different types of presentations accepted for Student Research Day, and these include oral presentations, poster presentations, and distance presentations. The Student Research Day homepage shares that “Student work that results from independent scholarship from courses, independent studies, summer research programs, Honor’s projects, and creative endeavors will be all featured.” In order to be considered for acceptance, students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours for the entire academic year and must submit an abstract of their project. Student research and capstone projects will also be published under IU Scholar Works in the Journal of Student Research.

The Student Research Day Program 2018 shares a bit more about the program’s history, as well as presentation information for 2018:

“Student Research Day began nearly two decades ago as an afternoon of presentations of the Summer Research Scholars work only. Over the years, significant enhancements have been made to the program. We have also joined with others to expand the breadth of student presentations, and this year, we are proud to be including art, music, professional development and the applied sciences. In total, the event will be the culmination of a celebration of student scholarly works throughout the campus, and we are glad you are here to experience the day with us!”

Another important aspect of student research can be seen in the Summer Scholars program. This program allows qualifying students to research and create a project of their choosing over the summer months. If accepted into this program, students receive funding from the university to conduct the necessary research. Students work with at least one faculty member of their choice who will monitor and mentor the student. This program encourages students to work independently, and the finished project could be presented during Student Research Day or another research conference.

The Honors Program has its own avenue for student researchers to take. The MEHA (Mid-East Honors Association) Conference takes place every spring and is hosted at various universities throughout the mid-east. During the spring of 2016, IU East hosted MEHA, allowing IUE students presenting their projects the opportunity to not only stay close to home, but to also welcome students from other universities and give them a tour of the campus. Those who participate in the Honors Program and have qualifying research projects can attend the MEHA Conference. Many Honors students present research papers from H-100, the introductory course to the Honors Program, and others present projects they have created for other courses, Senior Seminars, or independent research.