As the school year comes to an end, NMU students will showcase their recent work at the 19th annual spring student symposium, a “Celebration of Student Research, Creative Works and Academic Service Learning.”

Sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs and Graduate Education and Research, the symposium runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 10 in the lower level corridor of the Learning Resource Center.

The opening ceremony will be presented by Brian Cherry, assistant provost of graduate education and research, at 9 a.m. in Room 235B of the LRC. Two Student Technical Innovation awards along with top-three awards for poster displays in the undergraduate, graduate and group division will be awarded at the ceremony.

This year, 27 speakers will be presenting 15-minute showcases of their work beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Rooms 235A and 235B of the LRC. Posters, photos or performances will accompany the speaker’s presentation. Almost 60 posters will also be on display in the corridor outside the presentation rooms, according to LuAnne Crupi, coordinator and representative for the College of Graduate Studies.

Presentations will range from research they have been working on with a faculty member, original artwork, creative writings, to even musical performances, Cherry said.

“The opportunity gives students the chance to showcase their hard work in a professional setting and to work on their presentation skills,” Cherry said. “It’s also something they can put on their resume.”

Some of this year’s topics include, “The History of Nostalgia, Where the Term Originated and How It Evolved to the Present Meaning,” “Effects of Timber Harvest on American Black Bear Space Use” and “Using Object Oriented Program Design in a Monte Carlo Particle Simulation.”

“A lot of good conversations come out of the posters,” Crupi said.

Students are encouraged to attend the presentations and pass by posters on display in the main hallway of the lower LRC.  Participants will be standing alongside their research displays, answering questions and discussing their findings in greater detail.

“There will always be something going on to interest people,” Crupi said. “It would be really nice for students to show up.”

Undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines are encouraged to participate and attend. A full program will be available online as the celebration approaches.