NATIONAL COLLEGIATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE at HARVARD UNIVERSITY PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
OUR MISSION To increase the presence of undergraduate research by fostering an interdisciplinary research community and developing projects that enrich the undergraduate research experience. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Our Mission 3 Table of Contents 4 About the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) 5 Message from the Executive Board 6 An Introduction to the National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) 7 Theme 8 Conference Highlights 9 Tentative Program 10 Registration Information 11 Organizing Committee and Advisors 12 Contact Us 3
ABOUT THE HARVARD COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (HCURA) A 2006 report entitled Undergraduate Research Experiences at Harvard found that many students found research to be one of the most rewarding experiences they encountered at Harvard. However, the same report also found that many undergraduates felt that research was never actively promoted within Harvard. The Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) was founded in 2007 in response to this study and since then, the participation of undergraduates in research has steadily increased. Today, the research community at Harvard has expanded dramatically, with a significant portion of undergraduates submitting a thesis prior to graduation. As the premier undergraduate research association at Harvard, HCURA is dedicated to building an interdisciplinary research community. We have partnered with the newly established Harvard Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (OURI) to run our popular Peer Advising Program, which pairs freshmen interested in research with upperclassmen peer-advisers who guide each of the freshmen through the process of finding a lab, securing funding, and balancing lab work with other commitments. In addition, we collaborate with a number of Harvard departments to host seminars and socials in order to fortify the undergraduate research community here at Harvard. We are also committed to providing a forum for student researchers to present their research and interact with their peers. We believe that these efforts deserve a greater campus presence and that all undergraduate researchers should be proud of their contributions to the collective scholarship of our student body. To this end, we have hosted the annual Harvard Undergraduate Research Symposium (HURS) since our founding in 2007 in order to furnish an arena for students to share their work. The Symposiums have also created opportunities for faculty to connect with students, offering a unique educational experience for all participants. Recently, we have realized that it is important for undergraduates from other college campuses around the United States to come together and collectively present their research and interact with future colleagues. Thus, in January 2012, we launched the inaugural National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC). This year, we will continue to build on this foundation with our second annual NCRC in January 2013. 4
at January 19-21, 24-26, 2012 2013 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD Welcome to HCURA! The Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) was founded in 2007 upon the mission of building an interdisciplinary research community among Harvard undergraduates. This goal remains unchanged and we are thrilled with how the undergraduate research community has expanded in the past few years. This trend has not gone unnoticed; in 2010, Harvard established the Harvard Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (OURI) as an organization dedicated to connecting students with the many available research opportunities. As undergraduate research continues to progress, the HCURA board now seeks to expand our vision of building an interdisciplinary research community beyond Harvard. Since our founding, HCURA has been dedicated to providing a platform for student researchers to share their work. To this end, we have hosted the Harvard Undergraduate Research Symposium (HURS) every year as an opportunity for Harvard undergraduates to dialogue with each other and with faculty. Our work with HURS has impressed upon us the value of such events, leading us to organize the first Boston Undergraduate Research Symposium (BURS) in 2009. The National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) is a continuation of our vision to provide the best platform for undergraduates from across the nation to share their research. In January 2012, we held first annual NCRC at Harvard with great success. Over 150 researchers from 41 different universities came together and represented myriad research topics. Undergraduate students learned from experts in various fields including Professor Douglas Melton, co-director of Harvard s Stem Cell Institute and a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator, and Dean Fawwaz Habbal of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In addition to distinguished keynote speakers, NCRC also featured poster presentations and plenary talks from student participants, panels on topics ranging from Advancements in Interdisciplinary Research to What Can I Expect in Graduate School, and ample opportunity for students to interact and network. We are now launching our second annual National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) at Harvard, which will feature distinguished speakers, panelists, and student presenters. Our keynote speakers will include John Craig Venter, Lawrence Summers, Walter Lewin, Steven Pinker, and Robert Lue. Student participants will also have the opportunity to present their research through poster and plenary sessions. We are truly excited to continuing moving forward with NCRC, and we hope to see you at our conference this January! All the best, Leandra Barnes and Johanna Lee 2012 HCURA Co-Presidents 5
AN INTRODUCTION TO NCRC The National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) is a forum to promote collaboration. We connect future researchers with their peers and specialists in their fields of interest. NCRC will provide undergraduate researchers across all disciplines with a platform on which to share their work. As a result of our past experience with hosting local undergraduate research symposia, the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) strongly believes in the ability of undergraduates to make meaningful and significant contributions through research. NCRC serves not only as a medium to share these contributions, but also to generate a sense of pride and identity in the undergraduate research community. We maintain that collaboration with researchers from all backgrounds -- university faculty, graduate school students, and entrepreneurs -- can have a profound impact on young and talented aspiring researchers. NCRC seeks to provide undergraduate participants with a forum to collaborate and learn about research from a myriad backgrounds. 6
at January March 22-25, 19-21, 24-26, 2012 2013 THEME Collaboration: Weaving New Connections through Research The National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) is a platform for undergraduates from across the nation to share their interest in research. The Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) strongly believes that student researchers have the ability to make meaningful and significant contributions in all fields of study and to the greater body of world research knowledge. Students are not only engaging in research earlier in their careers, but also participating in increasing numbers. In light of this positive growth, we have identified the urgent need for a cohesive undergraduate research community. NCRC promotes the growth of a national undergraduate research community by facilitating communication, collaboration, and identity for undergraduate students in the global research sphere. Collaboration: Networking at NCRC provides students with opportunities to form connections with both faculty and peers with a shared interest in research. NCRC challenges the traditional barriers to undergraduate research collaboration, such as institutional boundaries and lack of established precedent, through networking sessions, panels, poster sessions and keynote addresses. Communication: NCRC enables students to present their research in a professional setting through poster and oral presentations. The exchange of ideas through a common interest in research is the foundation of a successful national research community. Identity: NCRC acknowledges that student researchers are motivated by a fundamental pursuit of knowledge. Weaving new connections in a larger group that shares this same motivation is not just empowering it is integral to success in the increasingly collaborative world of research. NCRC prepares young researchers for the future by bringing students together with a purpose the betterment of our world through a common pursuit of knowledge. The National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) will bring together a host of budding minds and established researchers to expand upon this theme in a three-day dialogue that will address the challenges and opportunities that face participants in the current research environment. How can we apply techniques developed for modeling neural networks more broadly? What crucial questions lie at the juncture between economics and history, or between chemistry and statistics? The future of how we explore our world through research will hinge on our answers to some of these vital questions. 7
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS Keynote Speakers J. Craig Venter: Founder, Chairman, and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute, Genomic Research Walter Lewin: Professor of Physics, Emeritus, MIT, Astrophysics Steven Pinker: Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology, Language and Cognition Jeffery Sachs: Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and Health Policy and Management, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Opening Ceremony The Opening Ceremony features distinguished figures, including professors and administrators from the host university, as well as prominent leaders in research. Poster Sessions and Plenary Speakers Participants will have the opportunity to present their research to interested peers. Social Events The social events will provide an opportunity for participants to meet other undergraduates and build lasting connections with fellow future scientists. Career Fair The Career Fair fosters networking between students and potential mentors and employers, while also exposing students to a wide range of possible career options. Closing Ceremony The Closing Ceremony is a celebration for conference participants that features speakers who will address the theme and narrative of the conference. 8
at January 19-21, 24-26, 2012 2013 TENTATIVE PROGRAM Day 1: January 24 (Thursday) 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Registration 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm: Opening Ceremony 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Reception 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm: Social Day 2: January 25 (Friday) 9:00 am - 10:00 am: Breakfast 10:00 am - 11:00 am: Plenary Session I 11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Panel/Workshop 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch with Faculty 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Keynote Address 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm: Career Fair 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Plenary Session II 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Keynote Address 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm: Explore Boston and Dinner Day 3: January 26 (Saturday) 9:00 am - 10:00 am: Breakfast 10:00 am - 11:00 am: Keynote Address 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Coffee Break 11:30 am - 12:30 pm: Poster Session I 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch with Faculty 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Poster Session II 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Coffee Break 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Poster Session III 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm: Poster Clean-up 4:45 pm - 5:00 pm: Group Picture 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Closing Ceremony and Gala Dinner 9
REGISTRATION INFORMATION Early Application Deadline: October 26, 2012 Note: Applications for plenary presentations are due by the early application deadline. Applications will be reviewed and travel scholarships will be available for selected plenary speakers. Regular Application Deadline: November 16, 2012 Registration Fee for Accepted Applicants: $60 Fee includes meals, housing, and programming. Complimentary poster printing will also be provided. Prizes Poster and plenary presentations will be judged during the conference, and monetary prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of NCRC. Multiple prizes will be awarded with first prizes valued at $500. Please apply online at hcura.org! 10
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND ADVISORS Organizing Committee Co-Presidents: Leandra Barnes and Johanna Lee Finance Chair: James Yu Conference Programming Committee Co-Chairs: Julia Pian and Justin To Conference Participant Affairs and Operations Committee Co-Chairs: Brandon Gerberich. Edna Wang, and Eric Li Campus Projects Committee Co-Chairs: Jennifer Chen, Ryan Lee, and Josie Volovetz Webmaster: Victoria Gu Board of Advisors Greg Llacer, Director of Undergraduate Research Initiatives Dudley Herschbach, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry Fawwaz Habbal, Excecutive Dean for Education and Research Robert Lue, Director of Life Sciences Education Jeremy Bloxham, Dean of Science 10 11
CONTACT US If you would like any more information please contact: board@hcura.org Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association Student Organization Center at Hilles Box #374 59 Shepard Street Cambridge, MA 02138 12 11
Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association (HCURA) Student Organization Center at Hilles, Box #374 59 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Pictures from The Kidder Smith Images Project, Harvard University