Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is Scholars' Day?

Scholars' Day is an annual event on the UMHB campus where both undergraduate and graduate students can present posters, papers, and other types of research or creative work conducted on campus during the previous year. Usually a guest speaker is also invited to campus to discuss the role of undergraduate research in their work.

Who created/founded the event?

Scholars' Day was created by the College of Sciences. Dr. Darrell Watson, the former Dean of the college, was instrumental in first developing the concept and seeing that it got off the ground. Dr. Isaac Gusukuma led the planning committee during the first two years—he did much of the groundwork in establishing the events and the format of Scholars' Day.

What is the reason behind the event?

Scholars’ Day seeks to give UMHB students the experience of making a professional presentation. Scholars' Day requires students to complete all the steps that would be necessary for them to present at a conference, including identifying a research topic and conducting the research for their project, completing an application form and writing an abstract, and ultimately creating posters or paper presentations and giving them publicly.

Scholars’ Day creates an environment where students can receive constructive criticism about their work. Members of the Scholars' Day committee critique each application, providing feedback and pointers on how the abstract was written and how research ideas were created. Our goal with Scholars' Day is not only to give students an opportunity to showcase their work, but also an opportunity to learn how to make effective presentations.

How can students get involved? Can anyone participate?

All UMHB students are invited to submit applications for Scholars' Day. They need to identify a faculty member who will sponsor their application and guide them through their research project. All faculty members have access to the application forms and can help students get started.

Are there any other faculty members/staff that are involved with this?

Yes, we have a large planning committee with a variety of faculty as well as staff from our IT and PR departments.

What can students expect when attending this event?

Students attending the event will have an opportunity to see posters and hear paper presentations on a variety of topics. Last year students from nearly every college were involved in making presentations, so it is far from just a science event. We hope that students will not only learn a lot from their peers, but also become inspired to conduct their own research and make presentations in subsequent years.