Over 100 Student Research Projects at RIC

RIC’s 2017 Spring Expo of Research and Creative Activity Poster Session showcased more than 100 faculty-mentored undergraduate projects, ranging from the effects of farming GMOs to the impact of helicopter parents on college students.

Student researchers represented all five schools – the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, and the Schools of Management, Nursing and Social Work. Included were members of the College Honors Program, the Sigma Xi Scientific Honor Society and the Open Books – Open Minds Conference.

The daylong expo on April 19 was coordinated by Associate Professor of Biology Breea Govenar, director of RIC’s Center for Research and Creative Activity (CRCA). Many of these projects, she said, were initiated in class and mentored by faculty teaching the courses. 

One compelling poster after another was mounted throughout the first floor of Adams Library. There were “citizen science” posters (research conducted in collaboration with scientists and volunteers from the general public), which explored light pollution, water and air quality, and exoplanet sightings (planets beyond our solar system). Equally thought-provoking were posters on the effect of leadership styles on innovation, racial bias in the portrayal of crime in the media and “queering” classic literature for the LGBTQ community, among many others.

Senior Kara Fhon, who presented a poster from her PSYC 475 course, found that discussing her findings was “a humbling experience.” “It was incredible to be able to share my own research alongside other students,” she said. “The experience of creating my own poster and presenting it to the RIC community is something I will never forget.”

Govenar added that “it was a great pleasure to work alongside other faculty, staff and administrators to support the incredible work of our students here at Rhode Island College. The poster session and all the other events that feature student work have a transformative effect on our students, boosting their confidence and opening their eyes to their own capabilities and potential for future endeavors. This is the greatest reward for our hard work.”

Govenar encouraged RIC faculty to revise their existing undergraduate courses or to design new courses that integrate research and creative activity. Such projects, she said, increase student engagement and lead to greater academic success for the student, enhanced professional satisfaction for the faculty member and higher rates of student persistence, retention and degree completion at the institution.

Ultimately, research and creative activity encourages a lifetime of exploration and learning.