The Office of Undergraduate Research is now accepting abstract submissions from all fields for the 7th Annual Undergraduate Research Festival on March 31.

The Festival gives students a platform to present research in areas such as sciences, business, social sciences, the arts and humanities.

In 2014, 166 students participated in the festival, giving 127 presentations – Some presentations had more than one student author.

Thirty-four faculty, staff and administrators acted as judges for the Research Festival last year, while there were 61 faculty mentors for the students. Some took on both roles.

One mentor, Dr. Ron Morgan, professor of history and chair of the department, has designed his Introduction to Global Studies course to work with the schedule of the Undergraduate Research Festival.

His course “explores the nature of the contemporary world, with attention to major issues impacting global society,” said Dr. Autumn Sutherlin, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

His students will take a research approach through the lenses of the many dimensions of globalization.

“Each student, through participating in their group, with grow academically and learn collaboratively just as they would in a research group in the working world,” Morgan said.

In Morgan’s course, he has prepared a multi-step research process with different stages and phases that will prepare students for the poster presentation at the research festival.

The class of 30 students is divided into six groups that work together on one research topic of their choosing. Morgan encourages his students to offer critical feedback to other student researchers and develop better research, organizational capabilities and critical thinking skills.

With help in funding from the Honors College and Graduate School, Morgan and other staff and students continue to work hard to organize the festival.

“I am really proud of the work undergraduate research students are doing,” Sutherlin said.

This year, with the 16 faculty members that make up the planning committee and the 11 students of the student panel on undergraduate research, the Office of Undergraduate Research hopes to see the Research Festival continue to grow.

“It has been really exciting to see the Research Festival grow over the last seven years not just in the number of students participating but in the diversity of areas represented at the Research Festival and the quality of student research and presentations,” Sutherlin said.

Abstract submissions are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 30 to The Office of Undergraduate Research. For more information, visit blogs.acu.edu/researchfest.