From April 20 to 24, Stevens hosted the second annual undergraduate research week. Iterating on feedback from last year, the week was filled with meaningful events designed for students to network, learn from each other, and strengthen community bonds.
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) defined undergraduate research as “a mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge.” Each year, CUR designates a week in April as “Undergraduate Research Week,” which is a national celebration for campuses to congratulate their students and thank their faculty for guiding them. It started in November 2010 when the U.S. House of Representatives declared the week of April 11, 2011, as the first “Undergraduate Research Week.”
At Stevens, the week was a collaboration between the Office of Undergraduate Academics (OUA), Student Government Association (SGA), and the Commuter Student Union (CSU). According to Noor Kanaan, one of the week’s student organizers, the planning started months in advance with the organizations collaborating to coordinate logistics, secure room spaces, invite speakers, and ensure that students made the most out of it…