UMass Amherst Students and Chancellor Participate in Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference April 22

The annual Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference (MassURC) is taking place in a virtual format on Friday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a keynote by Professor Adriana Katzew of  Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. Katzew’s talk, titled “Unearthing Stories of Immigration Through a Creative Lens,” will explore how she creates artwork through a research process that she says “unearths stories and memories related to immigration through research.”

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Students from UMass Amherst and the 28 public institutions in Massachusetts will be giving 681 presentations on their research at the virtual conference. In addition, this year the conference will have six sessions with guest chairs representing participating education institutions from across the state. These guest chairs are:

• Mary Grant, president, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
• Linda Thompson, president, Westfield State University
• Richard Hopper, president, Greenfield Community College
• David Podell, president, Massachusetts Bay Community College
• Kumble R. Subbaswamy, chancellor, UMass Amherst
• Patricia Marshall, deputy commissioner for academic affairs & student success, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

The MassURC is a one-day conference where undergraduate students from across the Commonwealth present research, share knowledge and learn from fellow students. Hosted by the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the conference brings together undergraduate students from the twenty-eight public colleges and universities within the Commonwealth. Students submit a video presentation of their research and engage with their peers, faculty and guests in live, virtual poster and research in conversation sessions focused on similar themes and areas of study.

Serving to broaden our understanding of research, the Mass URC showcases investigation in over sixty subject areas, including biochemistry, history, architecture, marketing, fine art, and sociology. Going beyond observing, conference attendees have a chance to engage with undergraduate students and get an intimate look at the diverse and defining research that Massachusetts students are conducting.

Information and registration: www.umass.edu/honors/MassURC

For questions about the conference: Emily Hodos, MassURC conference coordinator, conference@honors.umass.edu

For media resources: Matthew Medeiros, director of communications, Commonwealth Honors College at UMass Amherst, mmedeiros@umass.edu