UCF Student Research Week 2023 Kicks Off with the Academic Exhibition of the Year

UCF students will share their findings with the university community during Student Research Week, March 27-31. Compiling and condensing all their work on one poster each, students will present their work in Pegasus Ballroom and enlighten others about their unique areas of expertise.

Within five poster sessions, more than 500 students from all colleges will present their projects at the Student Scholar Symposium — one of eight cornerstone events happening on March 27 and 28 that is free and open to the public.

The annual research celebration, co-hosted by the College of Graduate Studies, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and the Division of Student Success and Well-Being, highlights the impact of student research and creative scholarship while inspiring others to get involved. As a research-driven institution, UCF aims to support students’ research endeavors and recognize their hard work.

The weeklong event includes opportunities for current and prospective student researchers to leverage the power of research to better their careers and the communities that support them.

In past years, students have shared their research on topics ranging from sunflowers to cutting-edge laser technology. The diverse range of projects attracts a wide audience and is a great opportunity for the university community to interact with student researchers in person.

Public Affairs doctoral student Itunu Ilesanmi is excited to share her research on the barriers to reintegration among returnees, focusing on internally displaced persons forced to leave their homes due to generalized violence and later return to their places of origin.

“From the barriers returnees shared through the interviews I conducted, I have been able to come up with a returnees reintegration model that can be adopted by humanitarian agencies and governments serving this population,” Ilesanmi says. “This is the first of its kind, and it will be an honor to share it with the UCF community as the only models existing for reintegration only focus on the criminal justice aspect.”

Ilesanmi was inspired to present her research on recent issues, such as the Ukraine crisis and natural disasters in Tukey since these events had increased the number of displaced persons globally.

“Presenting such a study at an event with so many researchers gives the affected population a voice and researchers an opportunity to see what pressing needs our world has and how they can solve them from their areas of expertise,” she says.

Biomedical sciences student Faqrul Hasan is grateful for the opportunity to share his research on therapies that may increase the anti-tumor function of natural killer cells in the body to help treat cancer.

“This symposium provides an environment, similar to international symposiums, where we can gain valuable experience by presenting our research to a diverse audience, including undergraduate and graduate students and world-class faculty,” Hasan says.

He also has a unique opportunity to share his work with peers across disciplines.

“This symposium not only gives me opportunities to share my research; I also get to learn about the diverse research presented by peer UCF students in different scientific areas,” he says. “I strongly believe presenting scientific findings and learning diverse research from others is important to grow as a researcher.”

In addition to the Student Scholar Symposium, Student Research Week includes several keynote events and workshops. During the Careers in Research Panel on March 29, panelists will share their research experiences and the impact it has had on their successful career paths.

On March 30, The Enhancing Lives Showcase in the Burnett Honors College Reception offers another opportunity to view students’ creative scholarship projects.

A celebration of the UCF Excellence Awards in the John C. Hitt Library on March 31 concludes the week’s activities.

For more details and a full schedule of Student Research Week events, go to https://researchweek.ucf.edu/.