The Fourteenth Annual Colby Undergraduate Research Symposium will be held May 1 - 3, 2013. A goal of this symposium is to recognize student research, provide incentives for high quality work, encourage a higher level of participation in research among the student body, and to draw external attention to Colby’s experience in providing undergraduate research opportunities.

Students are invited to present papers or posters of their research completed as part of a class project, independent study, honors project, or other research activity. Presentations of research conducted last semester, JanPlan, and this semester are welcomed.

Interested students should submit a proposed title for their presentation along with their name, email address, program or department affiliation, and the format of their presentation (poster or talk) by using the symposium submittal webpage. Titles and information should be submitted by April 17. Presentation times for speakers will typically be 15 or 25 minutes, but if more is necessary, such as for an honors presentation, please include that information as well (there is a place on the form to indicate length). Abstracts should be added by April 19.

Those submitting posters enter the title the same way, but students should design the poster for a 4X4 foot space and follow the Poster Guidelines as they construct the poster.

Abstracts should be submitted using the same web pages (you can update the form first submitted at any time) by Friday, April 19. When you go back to the web page it will show the titles of any papers you have previously submitted. The abstract will be included in the conference program and proceedings.

Questions regarding the symposium and title/abstract submission should be addressed to Russell Cole (frcole@colby.edu) or Philip Nyhus (pjnyhus@colby.edu).

Please use the following guidelines when preparing your abstract. A sample abstract is provided below as an example.

     Font: 12 point Times New Roman
     Justification: Use full justification
     Titles: Use CAPITALS for the first letter of each word in titles (except articles and prepositions).
     Authors: For multi-authored presentations, place a check mark in the box on the left of the author that will present. Please include departmental affiliation(s). List authors in alphabetical order. Include email, class year, and phone number in the appropriate fields.
     Length: Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Scientific names: Use italics for genus and species names of organisms.
     Line Spacing: Use single spacing throughout.
     Information: Please include audio visual needs (if computer is to be used, indicate Mac or PC). Check boxes are found on the webpage for each item.

An example of an abstract (paper given last year) is shown below. You may view titles and abstracts of last year's symposium for more examples by clicking on the links toward the bottom of the menu on the left of this page.

ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS THROUGH THE CUBAN EXPERIENCE

A great deal of research has been conducted to ascertain the effects of the embargo against Cuba on the economy and general livelihood of the region. Yet, there is little evidence to suggest the ways that the embargo might be effecting the country's local environment. This study explores the links between the embargo and any changes in environmental quality. To do so effectively, it is necessary to isolate the possible explanatory variables. Not only is Cuba the victim of economic sanctions, but it is also communist and severely impoverished. The study will conclude that both environmental improvements and damage can be traced back to the different variables. In many cases, these effects have been strongly enhanced by the presence of the embargo. By looking at the impacts of the embargo on individual environmental indicators, as well as its interactions with poverty and communism, the pathways through which it has worked to change the local environment become quite clear.

Information from symposia going back to 2003, including hundreds of abstracts from student presentations, is archived in links in the left-hand column, and additional information about this year's program accumulates as the symposium approaches.