Symposium of Student Scholars goes virtual

KENNESAW, Ga. | Apr 13, 2020

University pivots to online research presentations

Every year Kennesaw State University hosts the , a daylong university-wide conference where undergraduate and graduate researchers present their projects. As other academic conferences across the U.S. are being cancelled or postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the is using technology to ensure the symposium continues safely and that students do not lose valuable experiential learning opportunities.

鈥淜nowing that this symposium might be the only chance that student researchers will have to show off their hard work this semester, cancelling wasn鈥檛 an option,鈥 said Amy Buddie, KSU鈥檚 director of undergraduate research and organizer of this annual event. 鈥淭he symposium is extremely valuable for students to not only present their own work, but also step outside of their disciplines and see everyone else鈥檚 work too.鈥

The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 16 via Microsoft Teams, a virtual 鈥渕eeting鈥 platform/app. There will be over 160 sessions 鈥 each 15 minutes in length. Presenters will be assigned unique access codes and timeslots for their virtual presentations that will take place in different 鈥渞ooms.鈥 The symposium is also publicly accessible, so visitors and attendees from high schools and other universities can use these access codes found on the Office of Undergraduate Research website to join the presentations of their choice.

鈥淚n a way, this is exciting and opens more opportunities for the symposium,鈥 Buddie said. 鈥淗osting online creates potential for more participation, even outside the university for prospective students, by being more accessible in terms of location, time and availability.鈥

Agazeet Haile, a first-year student from Lawrenceville studying , who also will be presenting her research for the first time at an upcoming professional conference via a virtual format, says that this will give her an opportunity to practice.

鈥淚鈥檓 glad that the symposium wasn鈥檛 cancelled because I am very excited and passionate about presenting and sharing my research with a wider audience,鈥 said Haile, who is researching U.S. curriculum standards for social studies/history. 鈥淚t will be a great opportunity for me to experience what it鈥檚 like to present at an e-conference.鈥

For Preston Eldridge, a junior major from Canton, the symposium offers an opportunity for him to still present his research since the cancellation of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in late March.

鈥淚 think hosting the symposium online is a great idea,鈥 said Eldridge, who is investigating how to combat a pathogen that affects cystic fibrosis patients. 鈥淚t would be a waste for all of the work students have performed for the symposium to be cancelled, and it allows all the students who were going to present at different conferences that were cancelled to have an opportunity to present.鈥

Samantha Thompson, a graduate student from Dallas, Georgia, also considers an online conference to be a beneficial opportunity during this time of remote teaching and learning.

鈥淚 feel like the symposium going virtual is a good alternative,鈥 said Thompson, who is pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in . 鈥淚t still allows for people to present their research to the public and it鈥檚 the next best option to being face to face.鈥

For more information about the Symposium of Student Scholars, visit for the full schedule and list of research presentations. 

鈥Geena Lawrence

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 色色啦. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.