Spring 2019 Engaged Scholars Symposiums Highlight Undergraduate Research
Over 200 Research Posters Presented
As a research university, UTRGV prepares students of all levels to carry out extensive inquiry and cultivate interest in developing real-world solutions. The Engaged Scholars Symposiums held on the Brownsville Campus on April 16, and on the Edinburg Campus on April 17, gave undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in the research community by displaying a research poster or artistic work, giving an oral presentation, or putting on a creative performance. This year’s themes were “Bilingual, Bi-cultural, Bi-literate” and “Sustainability.”The event kicked off with a keynote speaker, Dr. Steve Song, Associate professor of research from Concordia University Chicago, who gave a talk titled “Immigrant Student Adaptation in the US School System: Intersection of Class, Legal Status, Gender, and Race.” Dr. Song shared his personal experience, having come to the US as a child, and how it affected his teaching and research later on.
“You’ve probably heard this before – ‘research is ‘me’-search’,” said Song, encouraging the students to keep looking into the questions that they’re personally passionate about.The personal passion was evident in the Gran Salon in Brownsville and Ballroom in Edinburg, as students displayed United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDG’s) on the side of their posters to highlight their research interests. The colorful cards that cover 17 areas helped the presenting students to spark conversation with attendees about the potential impact of their research, be it at the personal, community, or global level.
UTRGV’s first cohort of Sustainability Fellows volunteered at the event, and helped students make the connection to the 17 U.N. SDG’s, distributing additional SDG cards for them to add to their poster display. Many students were surprised to learn, after talking with the Fellows, that their impact went far beyond what they originally had in mind. Posters that went up with one or two SDG cards were soon joined by more cards (with some displaying as many as 9!) as students realized the indirect implications of their work - and the students’ pride swelled with each additional goal they’ve been working towards. For example, Freshman Jennifer Delgadillo Rios presented her service learning project, “Saving One Paw at a Time,” which documented how volunteering with the Brownsville animal shelter helped her develop as an individual. At first, she minimized her project, as did many students, saying that they “just” did small projects that had little to no impact – or so they thought. Delgadillo Rios was delighted to make the connection to several SDG’s, which helped her realized that this project was about more than her individual experience. The Fellows pointed out that by raising awareness about animal overpopulation, she’s making an impact to U.N. SDG #15, Life on Land, and by helping communities control the spread of diseases, she’s making an impact to SDG #11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, as well as SDG #3, Good Health and Wellbeing.
Fellows reported that all of the students they talked to embraced sustainability and the idea that their work has an impact on the world, and many talked about continuing their research throughout their undergraduate degree and into graduate school. With the support of the Engaged Scholars Symposium, organized by the Office of Engaged Scholarship and Learning, UTRGV undergraduate students will stay motivated to do so.
The ES2symposium was judged by several faculty members, with Distinguished Scholars and Honorable Mentions awarded for each category. The award ceremony announcing winners will be held in Edinburg on April 26 from 3:00pm - 6:00pm at ECESS 1.300.
