Students compete for Research Week

By: Nicole Alvarado

Posted: 3/30/07

Texas A&M's 10th annual Student Research Week took place this week. Student Research Week is one of the largest university-wide student-led research week programs in the nation with about 500 students participating.

Jamie Rae Walker, a doctoral student studying park and tourism management and the director of Student Research Week 2007, oversaw the event this year.

"The purpose of Student Research Week is to recognize and celebrate student research at Texas A&M University by providing an opportunity for students to present research and to foster an environment for students, faculty, staff, and administration to learn about the research occurring at Texas A&M and the resources available on campus," said Jamie Rae Walker, a doctoral student studying park and tourism management and the director of Student Research Week 2007.

Stacy Sherrod, logistics coordinator for Student Research Week, said the Research Report Card Program is a new activity instituted to help students see all the resources available on campus that often go unused simply because they are not well-advertised.

"It's basically trying to get students to participate and learn more about research and the resources available to them," she said. "There are poster scavenger hunts and sudokus and every time a level is completed, they win a prize and are eligible to enter drawings."

Walker said a number of tables were set up to link students and faculty to research support services offered by University departments. The departments represented included the University Writing Center, University Libraries, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Office of Graduate Studies, Environmental Health and Safety Department, Undergraduate Research Opportunities and the Study Abroad/Jordan Institute.

Sherrod said the event requires extensive planning and preparation.

"I signed on to work with this event last summer right after last year's research week ended, and I know everyone has been working hard ever since," she said. "So much preparation goes into this one week."

Throughout the week, hundreds of students presented their research in an oral and/or poster competition to a varied panel of judges, including such people as James A. Calvin, the vice president of research.

Ann Gillard, a second-year doctoral student in recreation parks and tourism sciences, snatched one of the many first-place wins on her presentation and expressed her gratitude that such an event existed for the students on campus. Gillard created a report about summer camp outcomes for girls and how to design programs so campers' progress would build skills and help them move forward.

"This was my first year competing and it was really great," Gillard said. "I was very impressed with some of the presentations-these are people taking time off from national tours to present here at our school. I'm just really glad that A&M does this-its numbers alone are very impressive and it definitely adds to the overall academic experience here."