The ninth annual Trailblazer Symposium hosted by the Utah Tech University Research Office celebrates research efforts across campus with the involvement of students, faculty, alumni and community members. It is a space where all can disseminate research projects, learn from other researchers to harness and practice public speaking skills, and make meaningful connections in the academic community.
The purpose of the Trailblazer Symposium is not only for students to be honored for their work, but also a career opportunity and learning experience that students can use to bolster their resume.
Breanna Blount, a senior criminal justice major from Las Vegas and intern for the Research Office, said she was involved in facilitating all parts of the Trailblazer Symposium. Blount said they’ve been preparing since the beginning of the semester, and involved effortful planning of presentation scheduling, registration, raffle prizes and catering.
Blount said, “As the Research Office, we want to be able to showcase student and faculty research in a way that isn’t really seen outside of events like this.”
The Trailblazer Symposium started the evening of April 18 in the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Arts Center auditorium, where Michael Lacourse, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, opened the event with welcoming remarks, reflecting on his commitment to the event over the past nine years and highlighting the importance of undergraduate research and the scientific process.
The recipients of the Distinguished Undergraduate Research Awards were invited on stage to present their research for the Ignite Talks. Each recipient was selected via faculty nomination to represent their college based on the originality, impact and rigor of their research.
Speakers presented their research in a fast-paced manner, with presentation slides that automatically advanced every 30 seconds for a total of five minutes. This challenged them to present their research in a concise and clear manner, showcasing their experience in conducting and presenting research.
Topics ranged from the use of AI in pre-service teachers in elementary education to the use of lighting in refining dance choreography.
After the opening remarks and Ignite Talks, students and faculty facilitated presentations across campus, where researchers presented their work to intimate audiences via oral presentations or fast-paced poster sessions.
Vinodh Chellamuthu, associate professor of math and director of the Research Office, said the Trailblazer Symposium featured over 140 presentations this year. This shows an ever-growing research community on campus, which furthers the mission of the Research Office.
Chellamuthu said: “If you think about it, no jobs are going to ask ‘Hey, do problem five from chapter five and I’ll give you a salary.’ Employers are actually looking for someone to use their classroom knowledge to solve messy real-world problems”.
Emma Johnson, a senior chemistry major from St. George and a presenter at the event, said her research involved finding ways to efficiently harvest water through atmospheric moisture with the intention to help with ongoing water needs, especially in areas like St. George.
“Getting the experience is super valuable to me,” Johnson said. “But I also think that it just helps you learn. I mean, applied learning is better than learning in a classroom, right?”
