On Thursday, March 18, regular classes were not held as BYU–Hawaii had its tenth annual Undergraduate Research Conference, sponsored by the College of Math and Sciences and the College of Language, Culture, and Arts. This conference gives students the opportunity to research and report on topics they find interesting in their fields and significant enough for further study and understanding. This conference, along with the Empower Your Dreams competition, involved hundreds of students across all areas of campus.
After working on research projects during the course of their education, students can present their findings to their peers and faculty during this conference. Subjects varied across the multiple disciplines that participated, leading to a wide variety of presentations during the day. Students read papers or essays, performed musical pieces, displayed works of art, shared creative writing works, and presented posters of their research findings.
Many students participating in the conference felt strengthened and encouraged through presenting their work, adding great experiences to their educational experiences. “The conference was a really great opportunity for English majors to practice presenting our English Senior Thesis,” said Victoria Jaques, a senior majoring in English from Great Britain. “I am definitely not a natural public speaker, but being able to present on something I feel passionate about, with the support of my professors, really boosted my confidence.”
Hina Kalama, a Political Science major from Peru, participated in a group presentation on the importance of tradition within education and the Hawaiian culture. “Our presentation focused on value found in traditional ways of learning,” said Kalama. “I was a little nervous about having to present but felt the spirit of aloha. We were all at the conference to learn from each other.”
Daniel Malinconico, a History major from New Jersey, has presented in the conference several times during his time as a student at BYU–Hawaii and always looks forward to what he learns from his peers. “It is really the highlight of Winter semester,” said Malinconico. “It is exciting to see what the students are doing, researching, and thinking/writing about. I would love to have this type of academic conference more often to show that you do not have to wait to have a Ph.D. in order to create something beautiful or impactful."
