On Sat., Oct. 24, Lamar University Office of Undergraduate Research will host the 8th Annual Texas STEM Conference beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Zoom with meeting ID 864 8738 3914.
The event will feature 29 presentations including ten graduate projects, 16 undergraduate projects, one high
SURF students producing nanoparticles.
school project and two post-doctorate projects covering the STEM landscape from biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics and science education as well as various engineering fields.
Eight undergraduates will present their research conducted during 2020 summer months as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and five LU alumni will share their research efforts completed in graduate schools including Auburn University, Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
“This is a way for LU to celebrate its past and present students’ scholarly accomplishments,” said Cristian Bahrim, active director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and physics professor. “Our students and their faculty mentors have put in generous amounts of time and prevailed in their research and creative efforts despite the current situation with the COVID-19 outbreak. I am so proud of their achievements despite the challenges and frustrations that they faced. They indeed show the true Cardinal spirit of commitment to succeed despite the odds.”
Dr. Benjamin Webb, an LU alumnus who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 2009 and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida, College of Optics and Photonics in 2016, will be the featured speaker. Webb is a laser scientist in the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, NY.
Additionally, LU has invited Daniel Quispe, a mechanical engineering major to talk about his Research Experience for Undergraduates this summer at the Materials Research Science Center at Northwestern University in Illinois.
Emily Ingram, Dr. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen, Caitlyn Clark
Saturday’s event will also feature the best undergraduate research group for the university year 2019-2020. The group - Caitlyn Clark and Emily Ingram with mentors Drs. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and Cengiz Sen, assistant professor of physics - received multiple awards, including the Best Presentation at the EXPO 2020, held in September 2020. Clark just started her graduate studies in chemistry, and Ingram is going to graduate in December 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
All presenters and their research will be scored by 13 judges and awards distributed at the close of the event.