San Diego State’s fifth annual Student Research Symposium showed why SDSU is one of the nation’s best urban research universities, as graduate and undergraduate students were awarded for their oral and poster presentations on Friday and Saturday.
The Research Symposium is an annual university-wide event held to demonstrate and celebrate the research of undergraduate and graduate students who represent their university at the annual California State University Student Research Competition.
SDSU students were given the following awards: President’s Award, Dean’s Award of $250 for oral presentations, Provost’s Award of $150, Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards, Library Awards and a Philosophy Award of $500 for best oral presentation in philosophy.
“I think research is a pathway to feeling value. It’s a pathway to being part of something larger than ourselves,” Dr. Stephen Welter, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate Division at San Diego State, said during the ceremony speech.
SDSU philosophy professor, Steven Barbone, who served as a judge at the SRS, said students this year improved their presentations in comparison to previous years.
“During the first few years people didn’t know what to expect, but now they’re nailing it in their presentation,” Barbone said.
In terms of receiving an award, it doesn’t matter whether a student is studying health sciences, engineering or physical science, according to Barbone.
“They should be very clear about what their purpose is. The student’s purpose is what matters, not the field,” he said.
DaKandryia Peters, a biology student, won first place in Undergraduate Excellence Poster Awards with co-presenters John Waynelovich and Krystsina Kezikava for their research poster titled “Using microfluidics chambers (Mother Machines) to observe individual cell physiology.”
“I feel proud. It’s been a lot of competition and hard work but it pays off in the end,” DaKandryia said.
The President’s Award was given to the most outstanding presentation in each of the five categories: Physical Sciences, Health Studies and Life Sciences, Engineering, Information and Business, Humanities, Creativity and the Arts and Social Behavioral and Educational Studies.
Those who received the President’s Award will represent SDSU at the CSU Long Beach Student Research Competition on May 4 and 5.
