Each year, a group of five undergraduate students from Syracuse University joins students from the 14 other Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) institutions to showcase their research or creative work at the ACC Meeting of the Minds (MoM) conference. This year’s conference is the 15th annual and will be held from Friday, April 5, through Sunday, April 7, at the University of Notre Dame.
Odette Marie Rodriguez, left, assistant director of SOURCE, with the 2023 Meeting of the Minds student participants.
Students interested in attending this year’s conference need to apply by Thursday, Jan. 25. All travel, lodging and meal expenses are funded for student presenters.
“Meeting of the Minds is a unique conference experience for students to present and receive feedback on their intellectually engaging research and creative work,” says Odette Marie Rodriguez, assistant director of the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) who accompanies the students to MoM each year. “They’ll get the opportunity to meet students from across the country and even learn more about our host institution for this year, Notre Dame. Meeting of the Minds allows us to showcase the very best of undergraduate student researchers at SU and the SOURCE is proud to offer our support.”
A panel of Syracuse faculty members and staff select the presenters based on the academic quality of the project, clarity of expression in the proposal, completeness of research/creative project, independence of the project and potential impact of the conference participation to help the student achieve their goals. The students selected will work with the MoM committee to prepare their oral or poster presentations.
Presentations last year included ensuring that older adults have the proper prescriptions; analyzing the effect of gender on xenophobic language in political communications; tracking a lack of diversity and equity in professional sports front offices; stormwater quality function of the established, extensive green roof at the SyracuseCoE; and using zebrafish to determine the effect of bisphenol A (BPA) and alternatives on seizure susceptibility.
For more information about the 2024 MoM Conference, contact Kate Hanson, director of the SOURCE, at khanso01@syr.edu or visit the SOURCE website.
