In conjunction with West Virginia University’s Weekend of Honors, the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences will present its 10th annual student research conference.

The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in the Evansdale Residential Complex Blue and Gold Ballrooms.

Originally designed to give graduate students the opportunity to present their research, this year the conference will include undergraduate research and a creative design showcase.

The creative design showcase allows students in disciplines like textiles, apparel and merchandising, landscape architecture and interior design to be evaluated on their designsand not necessarily research,said Cindy Fitch, conference coordinator and associate professor of human nutrition and foods.

The conference and showcase provide a forum for the entire Davis College to share information about the breadth and diversity of research and creative activities undertaken by students and faculty.

It’s always a really exciting day. It’s a way for faculty in different programs to get acquainted with research outside of their discipline,Fitch said.

Undergraduate students nominated by the faculty in their respective disciplines will be invited to showcase their work in the format of a research poster or creative project.

This allows our undergraduate students to present their work, both in the areas of research and design in a professional setting,Fitch said.It allows all of our students to develop that confidence and poise that comes along with making a professional presentation.

Graduate students will be competing for the top two spots in both the paper and poster categories. Monetary awards of $200 and $100 will be given to each first- and second-place winner, respectively.

For more information, contact Fitch at Cindy.Fitch@mail.wvu.edu .