For Jenny Bohn, research rocks.

You can see for yourself next weekend at the 21st annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativities Conference (see details below), where the senior design major is due to give a presentation titled “Science and the Nature of Fashion.”

“I had come across a few books on minerals and was totally drawn in to the vivid and contrasting colors,” Bohn said. “I started to explore the idea of humans’ effect on nature.”

She said her presentation will document her process of fabric dyeing and construction, and show images of mineral sections that correlate with each piece.

“When minerals are cut in thin sections and placed under a petrographic microscope, you can see each element in neon colors, which gives the mineral a stained glass effect,” she said. “I am contrasting the neon colors with the original neutrals of each mineral in my fabric designs.”

More than half of UC Davis undergraduates conduct research before they graduate; more than 300 students are expected to participate in the conference, about half making poster presentations and the other half oral presentations.

The conference is designed to familiarize the participants with the rigors of presenting research in a scholarly manner. The participants come from a variety of disciplines, and each student has a faculty mentor.

This year, to accommodate the growing participation, the conference — free and open to the pubic — is a two-day event.

The growth includes a notable increase in participation among students in the humanities and social sciences, from 50 in 2008 to 89 this year, according to Tammy Hoyer, senior program manager for the Undergraduate Research Center, which organizes the conference.

Bohn commented: “It seems that students are taking more pride in their individual research, and this conference is a great way to show off all of their hard work and become aware of what other students are working on.”

She said design professor Susan Avila encouraged her to participate because “the research at UC Davis is part of what separates our design program from other fashion or design schools.”

Avila elaborated: “It is a great opportunity to present their creative work in a professional environment. It also allows students outside of design to understand the process and methodologies involved in building a fashion line.”

A recent study by the Center for Studies in Higher Education at UC Berkeley found that undergraduate research and engaging with faculty in creative projects improved students’ analytical and critical thinking, writing and social skills, and their ability to make presentations.

AT A GLANCE

21st annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference

APRIL 30
Freeborn Hall
Poster session: 3-5 p.m.

MAY 1
Wellman Hall
Registration and continental breakfast: 8-9 a.m., lounge

Oral presentations

• Session 1: 9-10 a.m.
• Session 2: 10:15-11:15 a.m.
• Session 3: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

All events are free and open to the public.

•••

Research abstracts are posted on the conference’s Web site: urc.ucdavis.edu

More information on undergraduate research opportunities is available from the Undergraduate Research Center:

409 Surge IV (adjacent to the Silo parking lot)

Telephone: (530) 752-3390

E-mail: urc@ucdavis.edu

•••

This article is from Aggie Family Pack, the e-mail newsletter for parents.
aggiefamilypack.ucdavis.edu