Student Research Week 2024 Registration Opens

Registration is open now for Student Research Week (SRW), the largest student-run research symposium in the nation. Students can present their research through oral or poster presentations to faculty and staff judges March 18-22.

All students are welcome to participate in SRW individually or as a group; registration is free. This event is a chance for students to practice their presentation skills and hone their ability to make a creative and persuasive elevator pitch.

Registration is open for participants, judges and volunteers; it will close on March 1.

Leading up to the event, the SRW executive team hosts workshops for student participants to help them prepare their poster abstracts and presentations. SRW is a premier Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) program hosted with the support of Student Life in the Division of Student Affairs.

Natalia Flores, executive team director, says she’s looking forward to a successful event.

“I am not only excited to see what incredible new ideas my fellow Aggies have come up with, but also to hear about their experiences and what they hope to achieve after SRW is over,” she said.

During the event, competitors are given a date and time for their presentation, where they will have between five and eight minutes to present their research to either a layperson or professional judge. The judge has five minutes after the presentation for questions and the top two competitors in each category receive awards. The executive team hosts professional development opportunities throughout the event for those who do not wish to participate but want to observe.

Rob McCaffery, GPSG adviser, says judges and volunteers come from faculty and staff, along with volunteers from student organizations. “Since we are a research institution, this provides judges and volunteers to help promote learning and networking opportunities both in and outside of the classroom,” McCaffery said. “On a recruitment level, a lot of faculty and other volunteers are able to see some of the amazing work undergraduate students are doing within departments and can support them further in applying to grad school or other opportunities.”

Flores credits McCaffery and the rest of her executive committee for their invaluable help as they work to plan the event.

McCaffery puts together a new team of students each year to coordinate SRW. In addition to Flores, the 2024 SRW executive committee includes:

• Kim Le, assistant director
• Ragd Elsaigh, logistic and technical director
• Nuzhat Humayun Kabir, sessions and volunteer coordinator
• Sydney Martinez, marketing and media coordinator
• Dipankar Sen, judges coordinator

Flores had some advice to give to this year’s competitors. “Give it all you got and don’t forget to be concise, brief and, most of all, confident. This is your research, and you got this. Furthermore, this is a learning environment, so take this opportunity to learn how to be a better public speaker and researcher. Also, do not hesitate to connect with your fellow Aggies. You never know what cool and incredible things your peers may be working on.”

For questions about the event and to find out how to participate, email srw@tamu.edu.