The Department of Anthropology held its First Annual Anthropology Research Symposium and Showcase for Undergraduate Students on Thursday, December 7th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. The idea for this symposium blossomed out of conversations between Dr. Fredy Rodriquez and the department chair, Dr. Jodie O’Gorman, about the need to create an open house for our undergraduate students to show off their hard work and excite other students about research. The two quickly agreed that a research symposium and showcase would be the most beneficial for students as a supportive audience of peers, friends, parents and faculty would provide an opportunity for exchange and feedback. Many of the participants then turned their presentations into entries in the larger University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.

The Anthropology Research Symposium and Showcase offers an opportunity for parents, friends and others to learn more about our undergraduate students’ independent work and collaboration with faculty and graduate students around the university. All anthropology majors, minors and those who had collaborated on anthropological research initiatives with faculty members or independently were invited to participate. The student research projects were displayed in recorded Power Point and poster presentation formats. Dr. Rodriguez and other faculty members mentored students who had never had the occasion to share their research prior to the event. Twenty projects in all were showcased at the 2017 Symposium with research topics ranging from medical anthropology, archaeology, forensic anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, and social media anthropology. Light snacks and coffee were provided, and we are happy to announce that we received close to 120 attendees.

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