Two major university events, the Undergraduate Research Conference and the Empower Your Dreams Competition, will take place this week – and all are invited to get involved in both, to learn and to support fellow students.
NOTE: No formal classes will be held on the day of the conferences (Thursday, May 12), allowing students and faculty to attend and participate in the presentations.
Undergraduate Research Conference The annual Undergraduate Research Conference, held this year on Thursday, May 12, 2016, gives BYU–Hawaii students the opportunity to present projects they have worked on during the past year to fellow students, faculty and staff at BYU–Hawaii.
View a listing of the presentation titles and locations.
The conference is co-hosted by the College of Math and Sciences, and the College of Language, Culture and Arts. Students from across all disciplines present in the conference; art students give their senior art show, biochemistry students present research results, music students perform recitals, English students present their theses, and so on. There are twenty-four hour-long sessions. Students present their work for twelve minutes and then field questions from the general audience through a faculty moderator. Three students, or student-teams, will present in each session. Fifteen-minute breaks are planned to allow attendees time to attend multiple sessions throughout the day.
The conference celebrates achievement and hard work, and gives an opportunity to receive valuable feedback. Presenting to a wider audience beyond the classroom builds refinement and sophistication when ideas and skills are tested publicly. The purpose of the conference is to provide opportunities for students to practice presenting research and developed areas of expertise, and to prepare them for similar situations in the workforce or in graduate school.
Empower Your Dreams Competition The Empower Your Dreams Competition (EYD) for 2016 carries the theme “Start-Up Pitch” and focuses on developing ideas (many that were part of a previous semester’s “Great Ideas Competition”) into robust business plans.
Plans are judged on viability, scalability, creativity, and presentation. $30,000 in prize money will be awarded to winning submissions determined by an independent panel of judges.
Judges and panelists for EYD include Elizabeth Smart, Robby Whites, Jeremy Rincon, and Heather Staker. The schedule of events is as follows:
Wednesday, May 11
4-5 PM (HGB 275): Booth Showcase
7:30 PM (CAC): Fireside with Elizabeth Smart
Thursday, May 12
9:00-11:30 AM (PCC Hawaiian Journey Theater): “Start-Up Pitch” Presentations
2:30-4:00 PM (HGB 273/275): Willes Talks and Presentation of Awards
The Empower Your Dreams and Great Ideas Competitions are sponsored by the Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship.
Writer: Kristie Moss | University Relations
