First Virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research Features COVID-19 Presentations

April 7, 2021Contact: Liz Hains, [email protected]

First Virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research Features COVID-19 Presentations

Premier Event Showcasing Work of Undergraduate Researchers Will Host Nearly 4300 Attendees

On April 12–14, 2021, students from colleges and universities around the world will participate in the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR2021@Home), sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). This year, faculty mentors and more than 3400 undergraduate researchers will come together online to share their research on topics ranging from forecasts of Martian weather conditions and the relationship of financial literacy to student loan debt to queer representations in young adult fantasy novels and an array of projects related to COVID-19 such as the pandemic’s effect on playing style in the NBA.

“CUR’s first virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research offers a number of exciting possibilities,” said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer. “Attending in-person events can pose difficulties for students because of their personal or professional commitments, accessibility issues, or lack of funding—all of which have been greatly affected by the pandemic. With NCUR@Home, many more undergraduate researchers can participate in this professional development opportunity, interacting with peers, mentors, and others on a dynamic platform and sharing exceptional work that has local, state, regional, national, and international implications.”

Check out an overview of the schedule. The following is a sample of NCUR2021@Home participants:

• Afaaf Amatullah, Elmhurst University (IL). Read about her project that examined gaps in data about the relationship of preexisting conditions and COVID-19 for Native Americans. 
• Shannon Baker, Roanoke College (VA). Read about her project that studied the Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery in the contexts of debates regarding Confederate symbols and white supremacy. 
• Chloe DeWees, United States Military Academy (NY). Read about her project that evaluated the impact of third-party delivery services on the restaurant industry amid COVID-19. 
• Savannah Snider, University of West Florida (FL). Read about her project that sought to identify a biomarker that would aid in early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Antonio Visani, University of Pavia (Italy). Read about his project that analyzed data to determine if a new US-China bipolarity is emerging. 
• Ruijie Zhu, San Jose State University (CA). Read about this collaborative project that developed a robotic knee brace to assist patients experiencing age-related disorders.

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The Council on Undergraduate Research supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. More than 700 institutions and more than 13,000 individuals belong to CUR. CUR believes that the best way to capture student interest and create enthusiasm for a discipline is through research in close collaboration with faculty members.