Students and faculty alike will have the opportunity to network, watch live presentations and gain exposure to various research projects at the eighth annual Undergraduate Research Fair Thursday.
Hinman College Council will host the fair, which drew more than 400 people last year. Organizers are hoping to attract more attendees this year.
The fair will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Mandela Room of the Old University Union.
Janice Lee, the academic vice president of Hinman College Council, said the event was also designed to inform students about current research at BU.
The event will feature booths where visitors can talk with several professors and research students about the possibilities of working with faculty members and getting involved in the projects. They can also learn more about the cutting-edge research being done at the University, Lee said.
“The main objective is not to get a research position, but instead to expose the students to the kind of research going on at Binghamton,” she said.
HCC traditionally organizes the fair every year as a showcase not only for Hinman students, but for all students involved in research.
Professor Mark Reisinger, faculty master of the apartment communities and undergraduate director of geography, uses the research fair as part of his classes.
“Most of my students will be going on to graduate school, and this is something they will be expected to do,” Reisinger said. “They will have to present at conferences and fairs, and this is a laid back and relaxed way for them to get that experience.”
Students in Reisinger’s honors thesis course are required to present at the fair as part of their semester work. He serves as a mentor at the event, and though he will not be presenting, he sees it as a good opportunity for the students to present their original research and hard work.
“It’s not just doing the research and making the poster, but networking with people and asking questions and being able to think on their feet,” Reisinger said.
A special live butterfly presentation will be among the featured events for the fair.
More information is available on the event’s Facebook group, “The 8th Undergraduate Research Fair.”