UNC students show off undergraduate research at symposium

Junior Bethany Corbin finds honor killings fascinating.

And at the Celebration of Undergraduate Research on Monday, she was able to share her passion and hard-researched thesis on the politics and minority rights issues associated with honor killings among Turkish Kurds and German Muslims.

Corbin’s was one of 105 poster- presentations that filled the Great Hall of the Student Union. Another 35 students gave speeches on their research projects during the event.

Pat Pukkila, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, said the symposium was the largest in the 12-year history of the event, with a 17 percent participation increase from last year.

“I’m sensing a lot of positive energy in the room,” she said.

Pukilla said Alice Pilo, Allison Howard, Alicia Mullis and Matt Waters won a close vote for the best posters, which will be displayed in the Undergraduate Library.

“The thing is, there were no losers,” she said, urging the rest of the researchers to ask their departments to display their work.

Bobbi Owen, senior associate dean of undergraduate education, said undergraduate research has been expanding at the University.

“Look at this room,” Owen said, gesturing around the Union’s poster-filled Great Hall. She said the projects used to be shown in the Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence, but the event has outgrown that venue.

“It’s not going to be long before they’re on the floor of the Smith Center.”

Junior Denise Mitchell, who helped at the event, said the exhibition’s primary purpose was to interest students in researching.

“The big stigma about research is, ‘It’s not fun,’” Mitchell said. But she said her own experience researching discrimination — and the projects at the fair — disprove that perception.

Bruce Carney, executive vice chancellor and provost, said undergraduate research offers the University opportunities for collaboration.

“It’s beneficial to both faculty and students,” he said.

Owen said researchers move past the high school mentality of reading and regurgitating information and engage in academics.

“It’s a place to be original and creative — entrepreneurial,” she said.

Owen said the Office of Undergraduate Research has taken and will continue to take funding cuts in the face of systemwide budget reductions.

But she said faculty commitment has contributed to undergraduate research’s continued growth.

“We’ve planted this one deep,” she said. “It’s got really deep roots.”

Owen and Pukkila said outside grants — coming from groups like the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Atlantic Coast Conference — have helped the office flourish.

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