This annual conference is open to all undergraduate researchers in Florida to apply to share their ideas and results with the community. It also allows students to see other people's research from a whole new perspective.
"The purpose of doing research is to encourage people to be intellectually curious to ask questions and be adventurous enough to look for answers on their own," said Dr. Chris Kao, Director of Undergraduate Research. "It fosters critical thinking skills and sharpens the ability to think outside of the box."
Before students become conference presenters, they must undergo a rigorous review and careful selection process. Then, once accepted, they can present their research in a poster forum.
"Presenting at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference was indeed an honor. I found it very rewarding to present my research to other peers across multiple disciplines," said Shane Smith, a Flagler student who conducted coastal environmental science research on tortoises. "I highly recommend any student to get involved with undergraduate research while at Flagler. It is hard work but well worth it in the end."
Each student who attends the conference gains confidence as a presenter, exchanges scholarly ideas, and networks with other like-minded researchers across the state.
"It was such a fantastic experience to meet new students, both from Flagler College and other colleges, who were interested in researching like I am," said Presleigh Johnson, a Public History major who presented on first Lady Lou Henry Hoover. "I made so many fun memories and grew more confident in my ability as a student! If anyone is thinking about presenting your research, know you'll be a more confident student for it!"
Flagler's vast diversity of disciplines, ranging from Mathematics, Public History, Coastal Environmental Sciences, and much more, shows the endless research opportunities that Flagler offers its students.
"What I enjoyed most about the conference was to see so many motivated students that all presented a wide variety of subjects; I was pleasantly surprised to see that students from every field of study were interested in our math research." - Mona Aschenbrenner, Math Research and Foreign Exchange student from the University of Würzburg.
Below is the list of students who attended the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC). It includes their poster title, discipline, and faculty mentor who went above and beyond to prepare each student for the conference.
- Mona Aschenbrenner
- On the Analytic and Arithmetic Properties of the mu-Series for the Bertrand Sequences
- Discipline: Mathematics
- Faculty Mentor: Chris Kao
- Presleigh Johnson
- "Self-Forgetful Service": Lou Henry Hoover's Great Depression Relief Efforts, 1929-1933
- Discipline: Public History
- Faculty Mentor: Kelly Enright
- Hunter Makin
- Sugar: A Pathway to Power in Cuba
- Discipline: History
- Faculty Mentor: Jessica Howell
- Cassie Picard & Shane Smith
- Ticks and Tortoises: Investigating Ectoparasite Loads on Gopher Tortoises at the GTM Research Reserve
- Discipline: Coastal Environmental Science
- Faculty Mentor: Ben Atkinson
- Emma Wilkinson
- Anthropogenic Noise Impacts on Frog Vocalization at Anastasia State Park and the GTM Research Reserve
- Discipline: Coastal Environmental Science
- Faculty Mentor: Ben Atkinson
