Hopkins holds first Undergraduate Research Day

The University hosted its first Undergraduate Research Day (URD) on April 16 at the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center. One hundred seven students from 25 departments presented their research, which covered academic disciplines including engineering, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.

The idea for URD was first proposed eight years ago by neuroscience Professor Linda Gorman. Since then, she has been its chief advocate. She was first inspired when she witnessed a similar event at Wake Forest University.

Gorman was met with little initial support back in 2008 but continued lobbying for the event. She broached the topic with Katherine Newman, then dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS), and put together a task force led by Gorman.

When the idea for holding the URD in conjunction with SOHOP, the event for accepted prospective students, was proposed, Gorman was eager to pursue the idea.

“It would not only showcase our students and all the good work that they’re doing, but it would hopefully increase the traffic that the students got,” Gorman said.

Gorman brought David Phillips, Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid, to the project. Together, they were able to get the necessary space in the Recreation Center, and they decided to hold the event during lunch to draw in many students.

The deans’ offices of both KSAS and the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) funded the event.

Current and prospective students, along with professors and members of the public, mingled between posters. At each poster, undergraduates were presenting their research and answering questions.

Dan Friedman, a sophomore philosophy major, was presenting his work on searching for a defense of the principle of parsimony, the extreme unwillingness to spend money. He was excited for this event and its future.

“It’s a really cool opportunity to walk around the gym and see all these posters and see the incredible research that undergraduates are doing in the field from anthropology to philosophy to neuroscience,” Friedman said. “I’ve had a couple visitors today come and take an interest in my work, and I know I plan on doing the same. It all ties into this sort of notion of Hopkins as this place where interdisciplinary learning and synthesis and creativity thrive.”

Yue Cao, a senior neuroscience major and a Woodrow Wilson fellow, is conducting research to help discover new kinds of treatment for memory impairment observed in schizophrenic patients.

“The day so far has been pretty smooth,” Cao said. “I’ve met a few pre-frosh who have been accepted to the program, and so it’s great to see that they already want to know what the Wilsons are working on.”

Sophomore Ally Hirsch thought the event was a positive experience and commended its diversity. 

Hirsch said that she was inspired by the event.

“I actually was thinking about it,” she said. “I am Econ, so I’d really need to delve more into the theory and possible research opportunities within this major. Even so, I think it would be a really cool opportunity, and I definitely will look into it.”

For Gorman and many who helped her organize the event, the day was a success.

“I think for our first attempt, it looked professional,” Gorman said. “I think that the students who I’ve talked to about it were excited. I was happy, because when I looked around there were people standing, talking to students at their posters, which you never see.”

Currently the URD Task Force is debriefing and evaluating the impact and success of the event. This debrief will include a survey sent to all the students who participated in the event and to all the departments. Gorman is optimistic that the URD will become an annual fixture here at Hopkins and that it will continue to grow.

“Every single department and program at Wake Forest participates in this, so that’s what I’m hoping: that more and more people will participate,” Gorman said.