UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity has published “Tr ansl ation less” by Maris Souza, UTC student.

Holley Beeland November 5, 2019 — No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Russell Helms
UReCA
423-364-4860
russell-helms@utc.edu
www.nchc-ureca.com

Student from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Published in National Research Journal, UReCA

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity has published “Tr ansl ation less” by Maris Souza, a current student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“What I love most about this photo series is that it captures the loneliness and language barrier experienced by an immigrant,” a member from the UReCA editorial team said. “Whether the images depict the grandmother outside of her home alone or in an ambiguous landscape, they all build up the idea of someone who is having trouble connecting with her surroundings.”

UReCA congratulates Maris on her achievement and is happy to publish her work in our 2019 edition (available at https://www.nchcureca.com/). UReCA provides a publication venue for undergraduates with works that make a significant contribution to their respective fields of study and can be anything from microbiology to musical composition. Through an online platform, UReCA encourages interdisciplinary creative activity and research among undergraduates.

“Being published in UReCA is a national honor,” said Brian J. White, Ph.D., UReCA faculty advisor and Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at Graceland University. “UReCA features only a handful of interdisciplinary works from among the best in the nation.”

Selections for the journal are made from submissions received by a team of undergraduates at multiple colleges across the nation. Submissions are received throughout the year and represent a wide range of subjects, including creative works, scientific studies, and humanities research. Submissions are received on a rolling basis, and final decisions are made every August. This year only 25 students were accepted into the journal at a 13% acceptance rate.

“The selection of these students’ work for publication demonstrates not only exemplary student achievement, but also excellent university faculty and staff support, which undergraduates need to succeed in their fields,” said Johnny MacLean, Ph.D., UReCA faculty advisor and Assistant Provost at Southern Utah University. “Becoming published in UReCA is a university-wide endeavor as students must carefully research and become experts in their fields at the undergraduate level before being selected.”

UReCA is an online, peer-reviewed journal that fosters the exchange of intellectual and creative work between undergraduate students, providing a platform where students can engage with and contribute to the advancement of their individual fields. For students interested in submitting work to UReCA, visit www.ureca.submittable.com.

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity has published “Enclosing Spaces” by Arden Craft, UTC student.

Holley Beeland November 5, 2019 — No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Russell Helms
UReCA
423-364-4860
russell-helms@utc.edu
www.nchc-ureca.com

Enclosing SpacesStudent from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Published in National Research Journal, UReCA

UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity has published “Enclosing Spaces” by Arden Craft, a current student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“The photographs of this sculpture help the viewer appreciate the complexity and talent required to execute the piece,” a member of the UReCA editorial team said. “We rarely receive such interesting and unique pieces from visual art students.”

UReCA congratulates Arden on her achievement and is happy to publish her work in our 2019 edition (available at https://www.nchcureca.com/). UReCA provides a publication venue for undergraduates with works that make a significant contribution to their respective fields of study and can be anything from microbiology to musical composition. Through an online platform, UReCA encourages interdisciplinary creative activity and research among undergraduates.

“Being published in UReCA is a national honor,” said Brian J. White, Ph.D., UReCA faculty advisor and Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at Graceland University. “UReCA features only a handful of interdisciplinary works from among the best in the nation.”

Selections for the journal are made from submissions received by a team of undergraduates at multiple colleges across the nation. Submissions are received throughout the year and represent a wide range of subjects, including creative works, scientific studies, and humanities research. Submissions are received on a rolling basis, and final decisions are made every August. This year only 25 students were accepted into the journal at a 13% acceptance rate.

“The selection of these students’ work for publication demonstrates not only exemplary student achievement, but also excellent university faculty and staff support, which undergraduates need to succeed in their fields,” said Johnny MacLean, Ph.D., UReCA faculty advisor and Assistant Provost at Southern Utah University. “Becoming published in UReCA is a university-wide endeavor as students must carefully research and become experts in their fields at the undergraduate level before being selected.”

UReCA is an online, peer-reviewed journal that fosters the exchange of intellectual and creative work between undergraduate students, providing a platform where students can engage with and contribute to the advancement of their individual fields. For students interested in submitting work to UReCA, visit www.ureca.submittable.com.

URaCE Interview session: Insights from Sara Bey on undergraduate research in physics

Holley Beeland September 25, 2019 — No Comments
Sara Bey explaining her research at the Summer 2019 Undergraduate Research Symposium

Sara Bey explaining her research at the Summer 2019 Undergraduate Research Symposium, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 in the University Center

1. What is your name?

Sara Bey

2. What is your major?

Physics

3. Why did you decide to participate in Undergraduate Research?

In the spring semester of my freshman year, I got to know one of the seniors in the department well and she became a great mentor to me. Due to the math pre-requirements for physics classes, majors in this department don’t touch a physics class until their second year. At that point in my freshman year I was looking for some way that I could be involved in physics earlier. I started on a research project under Dr. Allen and being trained by the upperclassmen who was mentoring me.

I thought, “Thank goodness someone has done physics!”

4. What did you research?

The project is a very early on look at semiconducting thin films that show interesting magnetic and electronic properties. This is a very new material, so we are in a preliminary stage of heavy data collection and analysis. One optimistic application for this material is in spintronics, which is a new field of electronics which hopes to store data and information in the “spin up” or “spin down” of an electron.

5. What skills did you learn while engaged in research?

  • I’ve developed technical lab skills running equipment and manufacturing small scale wires and contacts. I have gained exposure to different data processing software which will be highly applicable to my future career.
  • Public speaking and presentation skills thanks to tons and tons of different conference opportunities.
  • Maturity as a student and as a member of the physics community.
  • Research isn’t always a beautiful picture… but as an undergraduate student pursuing graduate school, I make a high priority to focus on how I am spending my time and what this will translate to in two to three years. I fill my time with things I am passionate about, but also things I know will be worth something in the future. These two categories overlap for some things, and sometimes I just have to put in hard work that doesn’t necessarily feel inspiring at the moment.
  • I had no idea as a freshman what I wanted to be… I thought I wanted to be an astrophysicist, but this research has made it clear that I want to do applied material science. I learned this while I was doing research at the University of Alabama: MINT center Material in Information Technology looking at nonvolatile memory. They had a ton of graduate students that gave me advice.

6. What have you learned about yourself by participating in Undergraduate Research?

Research changed my mind about myself… before I did research, I didn’t think I had any place in the Physics environment and was completely underqualified… but it ended up being the most valuable experience I’ve had. It helps me as a student to have the balance to have my regular coursework and learn physics in a different environment.

7. How will you use what you learned during your research experience?

When I go to graduate school, because of the experiences I’ve had hands-on, I might be the only person who has used some of the technology before. It is a huge benefit to me to have already worked with what I have.

8. Other thoughts you would like to share?

I think that students interested in research shouldn’t be intimidated by it and should try to get over that fear. They should talk to the professors in their department and listen to what they are interested in. They love talking about it! Your real job will be hands-on and won’t look exactly like your classes.

UTC senior art majors will present their original research at the SECAC 2019 Conference

Holley Beeland September 12, 2019 — No Comments

This October, three undergraduate seniors from UTC’s Department of Art – Arden Craft, Alyson McGowan, and Hannah Wimberly Lowe – will present their original research at the SECAC 2019 Conference. SECAC is the country’s second largest national non-profit organization devoted to education and research in the visual arts, with individual and institutional membership of a global scope. Hosted by the UTC Department of Art, the 2019 Conference in Chattanooga (October 16–19, 2019) will be the largest in the organization’s history, with 140+ sessions and 650+ chairs and presenters exploring a multitude of topics.

Craft, McGowan, and Wimberly Lowe will share work they developed as part of special projects and seminars at UTC. Both Craft and McGowan’s presentations tie into the work they are conducting towards their Honors theses. Craft is a double major in Studio Art and Art History. Her paper, Constructions of Personhood: An Exploration into Artist James Luna’s Work, The Artifact Piece (1986), engages in a postcolonial critique of the popular exploitation of Native American imagery. Focusing on one performance from Luna, Craft uncovers the entangled nature of identity, consumerism, and difference embedded in American culture from the 1980s to today. McGowan’s paper, A Psychoanalysis of Caravaggio, reflects her academic interest in the Italian Baroque period, while delving into historiography, Lacanian theory, and her own visual analysis of the acclaimed artist’s self-portraiture. She conducted on-site archival research in Italy to develop this project, and currently works with the Hunter Museum of American Art as a Gallery Assistant. McGowan was the recipient of the Gavin Townsend Memorial Award for Art History majors last year, and presented preliminary research towards this project at URACE Research Dialogues in April 2019. Wimberly Lowe is also an Art History major, and her paper, National Parks 2050: Reinventing American Landscape to Communicate Environmental Urgency, draws from research conducted during her curatorial internship at the Hunter Museum and an upper level Art History seminar. She examines the intersection of landscape imagery and ecocritical theory to explore how the arts have advocated for environmental action from the 1840s through today.

Presenting at SECAC will provide these students with valuable professional experience and feedback on their original research from a broad community of artists and experts in and beyond Chattanooga. Their participation will also grant them exposure and networking opportunities as they explore future graduate study. Craft, McGowan, and Wimberly Lowe’s commitment to the research panel highlights their leadership as part of a growing community of students rigorously engaged  in Art and Art History at UTC. Their presentations at SECAC are generously sponsored by UTC’s Department of Art and URACE program. In addition to SECAC, these students have also committed to share their work and experiences at the upcoming URACE Research Dialogues in April 2020.

UTC students to present research at the national SECAC Art conference in Chattanooga in October

Holley Beeland August 22, 2019 — No Comments

Alyson McGowanWe’re excited for UTC students Arden Craft, Hannah L. Winberly Lowe, and Alyson McGowan (pictured), who are presenting their research at the national SECAC Art conference in Chattanooga from October 16-19 (https://secacart.org/page/Chattanooga), with support from Art History Professors Olivia Wolf and Stephen Mandravelis. UTC Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor is supporting #secac2019 conference registration for these students!

UTC students first to attend World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR)

Holley Beeland May 29, 2019 — No Comments

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga undergraduates Braley Gentry and Thomas Wiegand recently attended the World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR) at Carl Von Ossietzky Universitat Oldenburg in Oldenburg, Germany. Dr. Jennifer Boyd, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science attended the event with them as their faculty advisor. The event was attended by about 300 students representing more than 30 countries.

Gentry and Wiegand presented a poster entitled “Using network analysis to visualize connectivity in ecology concepts — an exploration of research on species rarity” based on their research here at UTC and were the first students from UTC to attend WorldCUR. They also presented their work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at Kennesaw State University in April 2019 and at the SoCon Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) at Wofford College in November 2018.

Immediately following WorldCUR, Mr. Gentry flew to Spain to participate in a summer research program in Cadiz and Mr. Wiegand flew to France to participate in a summer study abroad program near Marseilles.

UTC Business Major Joshua Lawson Wins Prize at the Academy of Economics and Finance Conference

Holley Beeland May 3, 2019 — No Comments

Joshua won first place for his paper titled “Speculation and Wheat” at the Academy of Economics and Finance Conference Undergraduate Research Competition held in Tampa, FL, Feb 6-8, 2019.

Joshua’s Research Journey

I became interested in Econometrics last summer after beginning my search for graduate programs. During my search, I noticed that nearly every school recommended or required exposure to econometrics at the undergraduate level. I then enrolled in Dr Alam’s Intro to Econometrics for the Fall 18 semester. Early in the semester I communicated to Dr. Alam that I was serious about the course and wanted to learn the most I could, and he gave me additional textbooks and publications to read outside of class (these would then become the basis for my research). One of the course requirements was to research and present a topic at the end of the semester, which is where I initially presented my paper. Afterwards, he told me about the AEF Conference and asked if I would be interested in attending and submitting my paper. I did and won first place!

In sum, this was the most challenging (and one of the most rewarding) experience I have had. I came away from this with a whole new level of respect for anyone who has completed or even attempted a PhD. At the conference I got to meet and talk with so many extremely intelligent and friendly people, which filled me with optimism and humility. I cannot thank Dr. Alam enough for all his help/support. Like many students, I have always wanted to participate in research, but never really knew how to have the conversation. He completely took me under his wing and was both a terrific teacher and mentor.

I have been accepted and intend to enroll in SUNY Buffalo’s MSc in Financial Risk Management program, specifically their quantitative finance track.  I believe their program will best allow me to improve my research and quantitative skills, thereby improving my PhD application. Long-term, I hope to complete a PhD that allows me to specialize in Finance. Afterwards, I hope to continue to work in research in either the public or private sector. As I am only just beginning my post-secondary education, my research interests are especially broad, but I would prefer to research topics that have some sort of public policy implication. I am currently working on a research paper alongside Dr. Alam that builds off my initial “Speculation and Wheat” paper.

UTC Undergraduate Researchers present at Posters at the Capitol 

Holley Beeland April 15, 2019 — No Comments
On Tuesday February 26, six UTC undergraduate researchers traveled to Nashville to participate in the annual Posters at the Tennessee State Capitol event. The annual event provides an opportunity for students to share research findings with legislators, and communicate the transformational power of undergraduate research activities. Congratulations to the 2019 presenters!
List of presenters:

Sara Bey (Physics), “Experimental Studies of Transport Properties of Novel Amorphous Fe-Dy-O Thin Films”
Mentor: Dr. Tatiana Allen

Hannah Hightower (Biology), “Tracking Cicada Susceptibility to Fungal Infection in Urban Habitats”
Mentor: Dr. DeAnna Beasley

Karina Kraevsky-Phillips (Nursing), “Nice girls finish last: Acquiescent assertiveness attributed to workplace violence exposure and uncivil nursing encounters”
Mentor: Dr. Katharine Kemplin

Nicole Messer (Political Science), “Ebb and Flow: How the Supreme Court Distributed Power in the Twentieth Century”
Mentor: Dr. Kelli Nelson

Morgan Royer (Psychology), “The Effect of Therapy Dogs on Preoperative Anxiety”
Mentor: Dr. Preston Foerder

Trevor Paratore (Chemistry), “Photoacoustic Harmony: Using Musical Concepts to Study Mixed Gases through PA Spectroscopy”
Mentor: Dr. Han Park

Olivia George awarded fellowship for graduate research from NSF

Holley Beeland April 15, 2019 — No Comments

Olivia George

Olivia George has been awarded a fellowship for graduate Research from National Science Foundation (NSF). She will be graduating in May with a degree in chemical engineering, and has been accepted into a PhD program in materials science at Georgia Tech. This fellowship will provide funding to Ms. George for the first 3 years of her PhD program.

In 2018, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) received over 12,000 applications and gave out 2,000 awards. The fellowship is one of the oldest of its kind, started in the early years of the National Science Foundation.
Congratulations!

URaCE goes to SURF 2018

Korede Ajumobi January 31, 2019 — No Comments

“I used to think that research is more valid when it deals with concretely following the scientific method, but that opinion has been challenged by my own experience with UR this past summer and by people I met at the SURF conference. I think any research, regardless if it follows strict rules of science, is effective in isolating a topic one might be interested in, or not interested in, when pursuing a future career. This, in my experience, is something constantly on students’ minds but no one ever seems sure how to go about confidently deciding something they may want to research in graduate school or how to align it to a career path. UR is a great way to start and has helped me.” – URaCE Fellow 2018

Below is a curated gallery of URaCE students at SURFs 2018 conference