Students, faculty, and staff are invited to apply to enter the eighth annual University Research Day (URD), on April 18, 2023 showcasing scholarship from all disciplines at the second oldest research university in the country. The due date for URD 2023 abstract submissions is fast approaching - January 24, 2023. The URD planning committee will review submissions and notify selected presenters via email in March.
At University Research Day, hundreds present the results of their scholarly work through oral presentations, posters, and interactive demonstrations (e.g. architectural model, short dramatic performances, etc.). Award winners and finalists from last year include presentations on theme park crowd management, a group effort deciphering a mysterious Renaissance text, and an artificial intelligence system that can detect human emotion.
URD remains in-person at the main campus and all presentations will be pre-recorded so that the global community can access them virtually. Students, faculty and staff who are remote or are at other campuses (e.g. Rome Center, Tucson, Arizona, and Alexandria, Va.) can participate in the virtual poster and oral presentations.
Each University Research Day is organized by a planning committee of faculty and staff from across departments. This year’s co-chairs are associate professor of Information Services and Director of the Law Library at the Columbus School of Law Elizabeth Edinger and Christopher Raub, associate professor of biomedical engineering.
“Research on campus seems to me to be at an all time high, bouncing back from the challenges of the pandemic. I am excited to experience a day highlighting the vast array of research going on at the Catholic University of America,” said Raub.
Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center, the University retains a reputation for producing groundbreaking research through close collaboration between faculty and students at all academic levels. As a reflection of research’s importance to the mission of the University, URD is the only annual event to cancel an entire day of classes to ensure that as much of the campus community as possible can attend. Raub said URD is part of a long tradition of all those who study at the University to guide “research toward the good, true, and beautiful.”
“Research at a Catholic University follows all professional standards and established methods, but insists the knowledge gained flows from an external truth and rebounds onto the entire community of human persons--our campus, city, country, and the whole world,” said Raub.
Raub said the URD is valuable for researchers at all levels because it provides key experience presenting important findings to diverse audiences who may not be familiar with technical jargon of a particular field.
“People are drawn to good communicators that provide clear information, allowing the recipient to objectively evaluate the purpose, rigor, significance and impact of a research study. Good communicators are more likely to be hired for their dream job. This is how URD helps students on their professional paths,” said Raub.
