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Events like Research Day should be held more often at FGCU

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Research Day was held on Friday at Alico Arena, and it was incredible to attend an event where so many students were willing to go the extra mile in their fields of study by completing sophisticated research projects.
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies did an excellent job running the entire event, and it ran smoothly, from the setup in the morning to the award ceremony in the afternoon.
Events similar to Research Day should be held on campus much more frequently because they provide students with the opportunity to learn from others and share their own knowledge with faculty members and their fellow peers.
According to the website of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, “research is an integral part of our mission in the educational process at FGCU.”
“Participation in research and scholarly/creative activities enriches and broadens the learning experience of our students,” the site reads. “We strongly recommend that all FGCU students, both undergraduate and graduate, take part in research and scholarly/creative works under the mentorship of FGCU faculty while attending FGCU.”
You could feel the excitement in the air at Alico Arena, and there was a tremendous number of posters and oral presentations. All of the students seemed proud to display their hard work, and this sense of satisfaction is valuable and should be cultivated in all college students.
These kinds of experiences are ideal training grounds for students who plan to attend graduate school. Research conferences also help students practice their presentation skills, which is another valuable skill to hone.
If more events like Research Day were held on the FGCU campus, it would encourage additional students to do research and pursue advanced scholarly projects.
Unfortunately, Research Day is held only once a year (at the end of the spring semester), which is not enough to provide FGCU students with ample opportunities to share their research and accomplishments within their chosen field of study.
Giving students the opportunity to exhibit their work, obtain feedback and potentially be recognized for their efforts during the award ceremony helps foster a sense of accomplishment that comes with hard work and dedication to a research endeavor.
Research Day was a huge success, and the event highlighted the value of hard work, collaboration and academic inquiry. With so many bright and talented young minds at FGCU, additional programs that promote research and education should be held on campus.

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  • M

    M CApr 18, 2016 at 12:21 am

    The Whitaker Center STEM Symposium is held at the end of Fall semester in early December for students conducting STEM related research. In my opinion, the STEM Symposium is a far more useful opportunity for students to attain experience presenting their work as well the chance to interact with like-minded individuals (faculty and students) that are passionate about research. In recent years, it seems that Research Day has declined not only in the number in poster presentations, but also the quantity of research being presented. It appears “Research” Day is an open invitation for students of all majors to set up posters displaying material irrelevant to research and more so a visual book report or ‘experience’ they feel compelled to share with the FGCU community. Not to say one is unable to conduct research within a non-STEM field such as education, but “creative works” at the local elementary school is best left for Civic Engagement Day.
    Then again, perhaps this is why research events, such as the Whitaker Center STEM Symposium, exist for individuals who are solely interested in presenting their results achievements with others passionate about discovery and contribution to knowledge.

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