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On Friday, April 29, The University of Tampa’s College of Natural and Health Sciences (CNHS) will hold its annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Crescent Club on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center from 2-5 p.m.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Keith Hawkins, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Hawkins’ talk, “Galactic Archaeology: Understanding the Story of Our Galaxy Through Its Stars,” will take place in the Trustee Boardroom on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center from 2-3 p.m.

The symposium provides an opportunity for students to present their research projects in a poster format, preparing them for future presentations in both educational and professional settings. Research may have been performed as part of a course, an honors thesis, a project sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI) or an independent project conducted under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Presenting projects that are in progress or in the early stages of development is also encouraged.

CNHS faculty members will serve as judges to evaluate the quality of the research presented by students. Awards are given to the top two course-based research presentations and the top two co-curricular/independent research presentations. The two first-place winners will receive $100 each, while the two runners-up will receive $50 each.

“The symposium provides a venue for improving (students’) presentation skills while promoting new collaborations between students and faculty,” said Eric Freundt, director of OURI and associate professor of biology. “It is also a great opportunity for students who are interested in doing research to learn about the types of projects that are happening on campus and allows them to speak with student researchers about their experiences working for a specific professor.”