Gigantic posters line a room filled with students wearing slacks and ties, presenting their fruits of labor.
About 180 undergraduate students presented their research during the 11th annual Science Poster Day in Ackerman Grand Ballroom on Monday.
Science Poster Day is a chance for undergraduate science research students to present their research to interested classmates and faculty, said Audrey Cramer, the director of the Undergraduate Research Center for Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics and Center for Academic and Research Excellence.
Undergraduate participants who complete one or more quarters of science, engineering or mathematics research are eligible to apply by submitting an abstract or a summary of their research before creating a poster, said Karen Ryan, the program representative of the Undergraduate Research Center for Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics and Center for Academic Research Excellence.
“I wanted a venue for them to share with other students and faculty,” Cramer, the creator of the event, said.
Student researchers apply for this event in the spring of every year.
Applicants submit abstracts online; most have qualified abstracts for Science Poster Day, Cramer said.
If the participant’s research is outstanding, the participant could win an award by submitting a personal statement and a faculty letter of recommendation, Ryan said.
Faculty members nominated 55 students for the dean’s prize in April, but only 25 of them were selected.
Elinne Becket, a third-year biochemistry student, was one of the nominated students. She is studying cis-platinum, a drug used to treat testicular and ovarian cancer.
Becket began her particular project last December, and she is submitting her work for publication in a few weeks.
She said she ultimately hopes to decrease harmful side effects of cis-platinum by helping the medicine target cancer cells more effectively, minimizing the effect on healthy cells.
Meanwhile, she has been testing her work on bacterial cells. Becket said that she intends to eventually test human cells.
For many participants, Science Poster Day serves as a training ground for their future aspirations.
Sarah Page, a sixth-year aerospace engineering student, said that the event will help her plans for working in an aerospace company and possibly studying in graduate school.
“Making the poster and doing the research definitely makes me more confident,” she said.
Additionally, this is a special chance to talk to other people about specific research.
To present research like this is a special opportunity rarely offered to undergraduates, said Judith Smith, the dean and vice provost for undergraduate education.
It is a wonderful opportunity for many students to feel comfortable presenting their research to people outside of their laboratory, a skill they will most likely need in graduate or professional school, Ryan said.
Science Poster Day prepares student researchers for other conferences the student will attend.
A week later, Page will be sharing her research in a chemical and aerospace engineering conference. She said that she thinks Science Poster Day helps her review her research and that it is a good chance to make sense of it.
Though the competition for the dean’s prize has been pretty constant the last few years, Science Poster Day has been increasing in popularity, Cramer said.
This year, there are about 180 student researchers, in contrast to only 60 participants in 1998, when Science Poster Day first started, she added.
“It’s because students realize that getting research experience is a complete part of undergraduate education,” she said.
Desire to participate can also stem from inspiration from others in the same laboratory. Page said the mechanical engineering graduate student in her laboratory motivated her.
“He pretty much walked me through what we needed to do and got me interested in solar power flight,” she said.
Students also find inspiration from their peers as they become more comfortable with participating and presenting, Smith said.
She added that she is amazed at the level of achievement that the students encompass.
More students are capable of discussing their research not only to people within their field but also to peers who are not familiar with their area of research, Smith said.
“What the students are accomplishing as undergraduates is really something. It’s very, very impressive. UCLA should be really, really proud of all of these students,” Cramer said.