More than 1,000 undergraduates from ten Utah colleges and universities will converge on the Utah Valley University Orem Campus to showcase their research as part of the Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR) Feb. 15 – 16.

On Feb. 16, students from Brigham Young University-Provo, Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Tech University, Utah Valley University, Weber State University, and Westminster College will share their research with their peers and faculty in poster sessions, oral presentations, and creative performances. Abstract topics include everything from art to molecular biology.

Keynote speakers will be Brent Baum, former senior vice president of Strategic Planning at DreamWorks, and current CEO of FanX Studios, a Utah-based film production and distribution company, and Tammy Clark, associate provost of Academic Innovation at UVU.

Dr. Brad Cairns and Dr. Donald Ayer, both of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, will introduce this year’s first-ever special session focusing on cancer research as part of the new partnership between Huntsman Cancer Institute and Utah Valley University.

UVU is expanding the UCUR experience this year with a kickoff event on Thursday night, Feb. 15, with live music and food trucks. The cancer research sessions are new and have been added and sponsored by the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and concurrent enrollment students from five area high schools have been invited.

“Undergraduate research is a bridge between classroom learning and real-world application, offering students the opportunity to delve deeper into their passions, develop critical thinking skills, and contribute meaningfully to their fields,” said Clark. “Presenting at UCUR not only showcases their work but also cultivates confidence, communication abilities, and networking, preparing students for future professional success."

 

For more information about the UCUR Conference, see: https://www.uvu.edu/undergrad-research/ucur/