SOURCE Shows Off Student Research

Student presentations, posters, and videos will be on display next month as New York Institute of Technology hosts its annual daylong showcase for research and creative projects.

Now in its 12th year, the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression, or SOURCE, allows undergraduate and graduate students to present independent, semester-long research projects. The event will be held on April 17 from 10 am to 4 pm at NYIT’s Manhattan campus. The deadline for project entry submissions is March 27.

"SOURCE allows students to become inspired and gain confidence early on in their field of study and perform independent research outside of their course work,” said College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Niharika Nath, Ph.D., who has organized the Manhattan event since 2005. “They learn the art of presenting and publishing and gain insight into what makes research worthy of being published.”

In previous symposiums, students have presented research on a variety of topics such as social media in traditional foreign cultures, urban agriculture, and Parkinson’s disease.

Students select faculty members as mentors to guide their research. Nath said mentors often later serve as references for internship and employment opportunities. Last year, more than 50 faculty members participated as mentors, session moderators, and panelists for the nearly 180 students who shared 69 abstract presentations.

The event will also include a mid-day panel discussion about research and development in the arts and sciences. Panelists include NYIT faculty members and Zenos Frudakis, a Philadelphia-based sculpture artist who uses science and technology in his artwork.

Following SOURCE, the College of Arts and Sciences will publish a select number of research projects in JOURCE, the Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression. Student presenters at SOURCE also receive a certificate of recognition.