Undergraduate Research Conference

Here are some reflections from students who presented at the MCLA Undergraduate Research Conference in recent years.

"I'm not normally big on presenting.  I'm not especially nervous about public speaking, but I wouldn't say I seek it out either.   I presented two talks;  one was for English and the other Psychology.  I also did a poster session for a Psychology study.  I found that figuring out ways to translate these things and find things about them I wanted to discuss helped me understand it better and further my thinking about each topic, but in a general sense it helped me think about how to find the core of how my interests related to others.  It was also a good celebration of my skills and definitely the most validating experience I've had in college so far.  I think the most distinct feeling I got when I was done was realizing that this is the sort of thing adults do, and if I can do this easily and have fun than it's not so hard and bad."
Devin Bryant-Bosshold, MCLA Class of 2010
Psychology & English/Communications (Literature)

"The Undergraduate Research Conference is not only a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your hard work to friends, family and faculty but also the opportune time to harness your speech and presentation skills to a captive audience. The URC was one of the finest moments of my college career."
Robert Moreau, MCLA Class of 2009
Political Science and Public Policy

"The Undergraduate Research Conference at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts offers undergraduate students a chance to conduct original research under the direction of project advisors, often as the continuation of projects begun in previous classes. During the conference, I had the rare chance to expand on a topic I was truly passionate about and receive public recognition for my hard work. After my presentation on Emilia in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice, the conference atmosphere allowed for meaningful and eye-opening discussion amongst my peers and professors. Besides emphasizing the importance of undergraduate research among a community of learners, MCLA's URC looks fantastic on a résumé and can act as a springboard to future conference and graduate work."
Kaitlin Hallet, MCLA Class of 2010
English/Communications (Literature) & Education (Secondary)