by Taylor Bryant
Four University of West Georgia Honors students recently presented their research at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in Denver, Colorado. Senior Osayame Gaius-Obaseki even walked away with first place in the student poster competition award in the category of Arts and Humanities. Watch a video recap of UWG at NCHC here.
“The 2014 National Collegiate Honors Council Conference was a spectacular reminder of the intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of the UWG Honors College,” said Osayame. “I was honored to travel with a diverse cadre of students: a poet, a biologist, and a chemist. Being recognized for my computer science research over the past year encouraged me to continue that work. Moreover, I encourage all UWG students, especially those in the Honors College, to attend one conference before graduating. If I ruled the world, it would be a graduation requirement.”
Osayame has presented nearly 15 times as a student. His first place poster, “Poetry and Prose Composed with Code and Mathematical Notation,” was a joint project with Ball State University student Rebecca Jackson.
“NCHC affords our students a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Honors College scholarship and undergraduate research with hundreds of students representing dozens of schools from across the nation,” said Dr. Michael Hester, dean of Honors College. “The track record of UWG's brightest undergraduates going on to the most prestigious graduate programs is due in large part to this type of interscholastic event.”
Honors Students Tai Truong, senior biology major; Taylor Boltz, senior English major; and Trisha Dalapati, Advanced Academy student biochemistry major also presented their research in various categories at the conference. Each student had to submit a proposal of his/her faculty-mentor sponsored research to be accepted to the conference as a presenter.
Tai was accepted to the poster competition for his research titled, “Molecular Characterization of a Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Mutant Defective in Photosynthesis.”
“It was a great experience to present the research that I have been actively involved with over the past year at NCHC,” he shared. “Moreover, it was a chance to exchange ideas and get to know other honors students and their projects. I am glad to have made new connections with these young, bright, and promising students. I want to say thank you to the Honors College, especially Stacey Rowland and Dean Hester, for making this opportunity possible to UWG Honors Students.”
Every Honors student is encouraged to participate in undergraduate research. NCHC was Advanced Academy’s student Trisha’s first national conference as a presenter. She says her presentation, “Looking Past Petroleum: Growing Biofuel Feedstock Using Brine from Abandoned Oil Wells,” allowed her to gain insight on how to better her research, but more importantly motivated her to continue researching.
“NCHC was the highlight of this semester for me,” she added. “While having a great time with the other UWG Honors students in Colorado, I was also able to learn constantly. Each student who attended the conference presented projects in a variety of fields, many of which were new and interesting to me.”
Taylor shared the same sentiment of her experience at NCHC after presenting her poem, ‘How to Embalm a Body.’
“My time at NCHC allowed me to experience some of the most intelligent and diverse groups of Honors College people ever assembled,” said Taylor. “In my presentation group alone, students came from all parts of the country and all styles of writing, allowing me to learn from others that I don't see or encounter on a regular basis. What I appreciated most about NCHC: the ability to read and later voice my thoughts without feeling as though I was being judged; at the end of the day, I didn't feel as though I didn't belong at this conference.”
The conference also offered multiple social networking opportunities for students meet each other. “Whether we were dancing at the social gathering or sitting in each other's presentations, my fellow UWG presenters were never slow to congratulate me or another student,” concluded Taylor. “I feel as though that speaks to the students of the UWG Honors College as those who inspire each other to work harder and achieve more as students and researchers.”
Dr. Hester presented the “The Thrill of the Climb and the Agony of the Fall, or, Competitive Co-Curricular Activities and Retention of Underperforming and At-Risk Students: The Case of Debate. The presentation discussed the experiences of member institutions in using Intercollegiate Policy Debate as a means of retaining and improving the success of underperforming and at-risk students. Dr. Hester was joined my presenters Andrea Reed, University of Kentucky; and Joshua Gonzalez, University of Houston.
NCHC is the professional association of undergraduate honors programs and colleges that provides support for institutions and individuals developing, implementing and expanding Honors education through curriculum development, program assessment, teaching innovation, national and international study opportunities, internships, service and leadership development, and mentored research.
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