UA Students to Present Research Findings at National Conference

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Eleven University of Alabama undergraduate students will present their research findings April 3-5 at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

The annual event, held this year in Lexington, Ky., is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity in all fields of study, according to the conference’s website.

UA students scheduled to present are: Nathaniel Barr, electrical and computer engineering, Evans, Ga.; Zach Beasley, psychology, Attalla; Cameron Beg, chemical engineering, Tuscaloosa; Amanda Bennett, English, Stone Mountain, Ga.; Ruth Bishop, biology, Shreveport, La.; Sarah G. Cox, biological sciences, McDonough, Ga.; Derek Duncan, electrical and computer engineering, Plantation, Fla.; Jacob Fondriest, physics, Granville, Ohio; Johanna Obenda, history, Carrollton, Texas; Henry Weatherly, history, Montgomery; and David Zargardo, physics, Peoria, Ill.

Each of the UA students, whose research ranges from naming patterns among slaves in 17^th Century Barbados to alternatives to conventional solar cells, work with UA faculty mentors on their research projects.

Accompanying the students will be Drs. Ann Webb, director of UA’s Emerging Scholars Program, Andrew Goodliffe, assistant dean of UA’s Graduate School, and Susan Burkett, Alabama Power Foundation Endowed Professor.

The popular Emerging Scholars Program, designed specifically to attract freshmen to research, is in its 7^th year. Each year, 225 first-year students begin it. Nine of the 11 UA students scheduled to present in Kentucky are members of the program.