Northwestern hosts its largest-ever undergrad research expo

On a Friday in late May, students flocked to Norris University Center for the Undergraduate Research Expo. It was the University’s largest-ever installment of the event: nearly 250 students gathered to present and learn about everything from microbial plastic recycling to shortwave radio during the Cold War.

Sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal, the Expo allows students to share their projects and receive feedback from faculty, staff and alumni judges. This year, students from every undergraduate school presented, including several students from Northwestern University in Qatar who traveled to Evanston to showcase their work.

While the Expo has existed in some form for nearly 20 years, this year saw “off-the-charts interest,” according to Peter Civetta, director of the OUR. “We’re at maximum capacity in a way that we’ve never been,” he said.

The OUR received 170 applications for 40 oral presentation slots, and staff maximized space inside Norris University Center to allow 180 students to present posters over the course of two sessions. Another two-dozen students performed at the Creative Arts Festival, a variety show-style event which allows students to showcase projects with creative outputs including documentaries, music and more.

The event capped off an impressive year for the OUR, which funded a record number of students — over 650 undergraduates — including more than $100,000 in creative arts projects and a record number of Conference Travel Grants for students to share their work.

“Northwestern students are striving to make a difference, to have an impact on the world, and research gives them the ability to do that,” Civetta said, explaining the increase in student interest. “Plus, we have dedicated staff and faculty to help support students to get started in this journey.”

Northwestern students are striving to make a difference, to have an impact on the world, and research gives them the ability to do that”

Learning to ask questions

Among those presenting was McCormick senior Chealen Berry, a civil engineering major who had her first experience doing undergraduate research this quarter. Her poster examined the ability of different kirigami — or “cut paper” — canopy structures to provide shading and ventilation in urban areas.

Berry, who will attend graduate school in the fall, said she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and was excited to share her work with others at the Expo.

“It helped me to think on my feet a lot quicker and respond to unforeseen circumstances that arose,” she said.

This ability to adapt is one of the lessons doing research teaches undergraduates, Civetta said. Research can lend students experience and technical skills for graduate study, but equally important is the critical thinking it requires.

“It’s less about answers, it’s more about questions,” Civetta said. “What are the questions that need to be answered in the world?”

Long-lasting rewards

Another notable part of this year’s Expo was the addition of alumni judges, in addition to faculty and staff, who could offer ideas from a lens of professional development.

One such judge was Kara Rodby ’17, who presented at the Expo (and won first prize in her category) during her senior year at Northwestern. Unable to find an internship that matched her specific interests in environmental engineering, Rodby began doing undergraduate research — an experience she credits as the catalyst for her choice to pursue a Ph.D. and for giving her the foundational skills necessary to complete the degree.

“The extensive research experience that I just happened to stumble into here was really critical for the rest of my career, even if I didn’t know it at the time,” Rodby said.

Undergraduate research’s continuing payoffs for students like Rodby is why Northwestern prioritizes the experience, according to Civetta.

“The University has made a great, great commitment to see this grow because we know the tremendous impact that this has,” he said.

Curious about undergraduate research? Learn more about opportunities and how to get started on the Office of Undergraduate Research website.