The 13th annual kicks off Thursday, April 7, at 1 p.m. in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom, where students will demonstrate what they’ve learned to the general public.

“Presenting at the showcase gives students an important opportunity to communicate their research, both to attendees in their field of work and to the general public,” said Aubrey Kuperman, coordinator of the UCF Office of Undergraduate Research.

Being able to communicate their expanded knowledge base is a critical skill that sets students apart when applying to graduate school and for jobs, Kuperman added.

The Office of Undergraduate Research holds the event as part of , an annually held series of professional development workshops and forums for undergraduate and graduate students.

All currently enrolled undergraduate students, regardless of major, are eligible to present. Judging for the showcase takes place in three rounds, and the best projects can receive scholarship money.

Burdley Colas, a student working at the College of Optics & Photonics’ Fiber Optics Lab, said preparing for the showcase gave him the opportunity to spend significant time working with his faculty mentor.

“A lot of students just go to class and then don’t take the time to know them,” he said.

“Developing a relationship with a professor helps you understand what they do and you get to ask them questions: What’s it like to be in academia? How do they manage multiple things at once? What does it take to get to grad school? Although you’re an undergraduate, you have the possibility to work with a professor like how a grad student would be entrusted to do. That’s a responsibility, and it’s a fun journey to be on.”

The chance to present was more than just an opportunity for Colas to answer questions and deepen his understanding of his field, he said, because it allowed him to impress upon his peers to take advantage of campus resources.

“You’re not just trying to win an award at the showcase,” he said. “You’re also sending a message, telling the university community: You offered me something, and I made use of it. And I want to inspire others to do the same thing.”

These assistantships cover a wide variety of academic areas: psychology, biology, sport and exercise science, hospitality and more.

To be selected, faculty members first submitted applications to receive an assistant. Next, students applied for an undergraduate research assistantship. Then, the LEAD Scholars Academy staff matched up faculty members and students based on common needs.

The 10-hour-per-week position is paid by LEAD Scholars Academy, so students get a paid experience and faculty members get help with their research programs.

Senior psychology major Kailyn Baker spent her semester working with Germayne Graham as a researcher for the Hazing Consortium at UCF through the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą of Maine. “At the beginning of the semester I held two focus groups, and collected information from students on their perception of hazing, and their experience with the new hazing module. I then took that information and translated it into an anti-hazing workshop that was presented to faculty and staff.”

The module Baker helped create will be part of the online orientation course new UCF students must take along with alcohol education and sexual consent awareness.

Junior health sciences pre-clinical major Naureen Syed is another student who completed an assistantship this semester. She has been working with Bari Ruddy, Communications Sciences and Disorders Department, researching health literacy in patients with head and neck cancer.

Syed’s favorite part about her time with Ruddy was presenting at the Undergraduate Research Showcase. “It really helped me understand my topic even more and try to enlist interest from my judges and other peers,” she said.

For more information on LSA’s Undergraduate Research Program, click here: .