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STARK ECOLOGICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

10th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium
Saturday, April 27, 2024
8:30 a.m. 
101 Science & Nursing Building
Kent State University at Stark

 
The 10th annual Stark Ecological & Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium hosted by Kent State University at Stark will include short oral presentations and a poster session.

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Economics
• Policy & Planning
• History
• Education
• Conservation
• Internships

Planning to attend only? .

ABSTRACTS

Individuals interested in an opportunity to present an oral or poster presentation should submit an abstract of no more than 250 words and a brief biographical sketch for all authors and research advisor.

The deadline to submit abstracts is Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. This is a strict deadline.

Presentations discussing conceptual, preliminary or exploratory research, and internships are also welcome.

Instructions on how to submit your abstract and presentation follows.

ABSTRACT INSTRUCTIONS

1. Title

Using the form provided above, submit your title in ALL CAPITAL letters. 

Example: 10:10 BIOGEOCHEMISTRY OF THE NIMISHILLEN CREEK WATERSHED (STARK COUNTY, OHIO): AN INORGANIC AND MACROINVERTEBRATE PERSPECTIVE.

2. Presenters/Authors

Using the form provided above, add all name(s) of presenter(s) typed First Name Middle Initial Last Name in mixed case. Do not type last names in all capital letters. Follow each author's name with their email address. 

Example: Joseph Mikulin (josephmikulin@walsh.edu), Stephanie Sforza (stephaniesforza@walsh.edu), Leah Wilson (lwilson11@walsh.edu), Joseph Baylor (jbaylor1@walsh.edu), Alex Makowicki (amakowic1@walsh.edu), and Meghan Skrypka (mskrypka1@walsh.edu). 

3. Mailing Address

Using the form provided above, provide a complete mailing address for the first author/presenter. All others should be listed with their affiliation, if different.

Example: Division of Mathematics and Sciences, Walsh University, 2020 E. Maple St. NW, North Canton, OH 44720.

4. Abstract

Using the form provided above, submit your abstract. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Quality abstracts are highly structured and contain all of the following elements: 

1. background or introduction including goals, objectives, purpose, problem and hypothesis
2. methods and materials
3. results, data or observations
4. discussion or conclusion(s)

All important facts should be stated with brevity, but not such sparing use of words as to leave ambiguity. Tables and graphs should not be included.

Example: This project is a continuation of Theresa Izzo’s Honors Research Project, which compared the water quality of Hoover Ditch in Hoover Park, North Canton, Ohio, with the water quality of two urban and two suburban locations in the West Branch portion of the Nimishillen Creek Watershed during a drought year. The purpose of the comparison was to assess how urban/suburban development has impacted the biogeochemistry of Hoover Ditch and to provide a baseline for Hoover Ditch.  It was hypothesized that nutrient levels were higher in Hoover Ditch than the four locations in the West Branch Nimishillen Creek Watershed due to effects of recent residential and industrial development. Important aspects of the longitudinal study of both the Hoover Ditch and the Nimishillen Watershed include determining the role of rainfall and contrasting of urban and suburban settings as they relate to trends in concentrations of inorganic molecules and water quality. Nitrate and BOD exemplify these factors respectively. Sampling of macroinvertebrates from the Hoover Ditch as well as the West Branch portion of the Nimishillen Watershed indicated a lower water quality at Hoover Parks than at other sites, based on the presence and relative abundance of organisms that the Biotic Index classified as highly sensitive to water pollution.

5. Presenter/Author Biographical Data

Using the form provided above, include the presenter/author(s) biographical data.

Example: All authors were members of Fall 2023 CHEM 335 Biogeochemistry course at Walsh University. Leah Wilson, Joseph Baylor, Alex Makowicki, and Meghan Skrypka are majoring in Environmental Science and Joseph Mikulin and Stephanie Sforza are majoring in Chemistry.  

6. Advisor or Supervisor

Using the form provided above, include your advisor or supervisor's information.

Example: Dr. Curtis Clevinger is an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Walsh University. His research projects include watershed studies of the Nimishillen, nutrient cycling in Lake Erie, and land use studies of fracked wells in Ohio.  

PRESENTATION INSTRUCTIONS

 
For Poster Presentations only

Posters should be created as a PowerPoint, Google Slide or similar. Posters should be created in accordance with standard conventions of your discipline. The Ohio Academy of Science poster standard can be used as a default in the absence of other guidelines. Posters will be placed on the wall outside of Room 019 located on the ground floor of the Science & Nursing Building.

For Oral Presenters only

Presenters will be strictly limited to 15 minutes for their presentation and 5 minutes for questions for the transition to and introduction of the next speaker. Each session will be facilitated by a moderator who is responsible for keeping speakers on time. Plan to logon to your session 10 minutes prior to its published start time—i.e., well before the first presentation is to begin—and introduce yourself to the moderator. Be sure they know how to pronounce your name. 

PowerPoint Presentation Guidelines

• Embed graphs or other figures into the PowerPoint document as independent objects; do not dynamically link from other programs. 
• Limit file size to 25 MB and less. Photos for slides can be compressed and saved in a lower resolution. 
• Disable any automatic advance timer on your file. 
• Turn sound OFF in your presentation slides. 
• When saving your file use your first and last name and university. (e.g. Jane Doe’s presentation, Walsh University)
• Your presentation will be set-up in advance to facilitate a smooth transition from one speaker to the next. 
• Note: Due to different resolutions of laptops and projectors, color shifting can and will occur. Please be aware when creating the presentation that the colors may change somewhat when projected.

Submit Your Poster or Presentation

Email your final version to Dr. Robert Hamilton at rhamilt6@kent.edu no later than Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.