Record numbers for Student Research and Creativity Expo

A record 325 students participated in this year’s Student Research and Creativity Exposition. Presentations were given in the Williams Center Multipurpose room as well as rooms on the second floor of the Williams Center.

When the expo first began 12 years ago, it only featured presentations from students in the natural and social sciences.

Jack Croxton, the director of the office of Student Creativity and Research (OSCAR), took over the responsibility of organizing the expo four years ago. Croxton believed expanding the expo would allow more students to represent themselves creatively.

“I wanted to reach out to the arts and the humanities, even people in music,” Croxton said. “I think by making students realize they didn’t have to have a research project in order to participate, more students then got interested.”

Many graduate students had difficulty participating in the expo in the past because of their jobs. This year, a special session later in the day was created so that more graduate students could participate.

Zeek Pagovski, a junior political science and international relations major, gave four presentations. He was only required to give one, but “I like researching in my free time and I really enjoy presenting such academic and non-academic topics,” Pagovski said.

Pagovski is from Macedonia and is studying at an American university in Bulgaria. He came to Fredonia through a university exchange program and has been studying here since the beginning of the semester. He will be leaving on May 12.

“I like the international experience that I’m gaining,” Pagovski said. This is his fourth trip to the United States.

Many students at the expo gave presentations for their capstone classes. “It’s mainly seniors that are participating, and for many of them, this is the culmination of their academic career,” Croxton said.

There are several categories in which students can choose to present their work: poster presentation, computer, art, music, oral and live. One live performance was given by students from Kiss Me Kate, who performed several songs from the musical.

Music and theatrical performances took place at The Spot, the game room and Campus Grind coffeehouse located on the first floor of the Williams Center. “It was just a fun time for people who just wanted to see students perform,” Croxton said.

Senior psychology major Clara Wright gave a poster presentation. “We were required in my Organizational Psychology class to create a poster for the expo about an organization that we belong to,” Wright said. “I liked making a poster for the expo rather than doing an oral presentation because it …gave me a chance to see other student’s work.”

Many faculty members worked closely with students to help them prepare for the expo, even though it is not required of them. Croxton said that “in the psychology department…we basically volunteer to take students under our wing and help them develop a research idea.”

“I commend the faculty…because if the students didn’t have their mentors, they wouldn’t be producing these interesting projects.”