DURHAM, N.H. – Student engineering projects will be showcased at the University of New Hampshire’s annual Undergraduate Research Conference April 28 from 2-5 p.m. in Morse Hall.

At most universities, the phrase “undergraduate research” conjures up images of students roaming the library stacks in search of scholarly journals, but at UNH, undergraduate researchers also head to the lab and into the field to tackle real-world problems with recognized experts.

Projects on display during the Engineering Symposium include a modular, pre-cast concrete guardrail that is attracting national attention, a firefighting robot and a biometric driver’s license. A “clean” snowmobile, digitally controlled guitar amplifier and satellite steering system will also be featured. In all, more than 32 projects involving nearly 100 students from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) will be presented.

Designing these innovative technologies are the “capstone” experiences that allow CEPS seniors to put together everything they have learned at UNH.

“A major focus for many of our departments is to provide undergraduate students with several opportunities to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real engineering and science problems,” said CEPS Associate Dean Robert Henry. “It is very important that a student is able to make the connection between academic “classroom” work and “hands-on” applications. Undergraduate research projects allow this connection to be made as well as open their eyes to what else might be possible.”

UNH is exceptionally suited to offer the kind of research experiences undergraduates at other schools can only dream of. Classified by the Carnegie Foundation among such top-tier research universities as Harvard, MIT and Cornell, UNH can offer its undergraduates expert faculty mentors to guide them. But unlike most other universities in this category, UNH’s graduate programs are relatively small, leaving plenty of opportunities for undergraduates who want to actually do research, rather than just read about it.

Faculty members play an important role as mentors to these undergraduate researchers, who work side-by-side with their faculty mentors. At times, student research results are integrated into the faculty member's overall research findings.

“Our graduating seniors are only months away from embarking on their professional careers,” said CEPS Dean Arthur Greenberg. “Work on design projects or research projects, under the supervision of a renowned mentor, bears considerable similarity to the apprenticeship of a novice with a skilled craftsman just prior to the trainee becoming a true professional.”

Begun in 1999, the Undergraduate Research Conference has grown from a day-long event to a week-long conference that highlights scholarly and artistic work across all disciplines, including business, health, psychology, the fine and performing arts, engineering, life sciences and agriculture, sociology and English.

The conference is free and open to the public. Prospective students and parents are invited to view demonstrations of and ask questions. For more information on the conference, go to www.unh.edu/urc.

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