One in five students at Oregon State University – Cascades participates in experiential learning outside of the classroom, and increasingly, both undergraduate and graduate students at OSU-Cascades are engaging in experiential projects centered on research.
On Wednesday, May 25, undergraduate and graduate students will share their recent research projects in an annual Student Research and Projects Symposium, coordinated by the student Research and Community Outreach Club. The symposium will take place from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Cascades Hall on College Way in Bend.
The students’ projects investigate a variety of issues facing the environment, human services, education, fitness and health, technology and biology. Students will present research conducted in association with faculty research projects, as well as independent projects that meet senior capstone course requirements.
“At OSU-Cascades we’re fortunate to be small enough to engage undergraduates in important research,” said Brianne Kothari, an assistant professor in the human development and family sciences program. “We can provide them unique opportunities and expose them to work often conducted by graduate students at larger institutions.”
Kothari serves as the faculty advisor to the Student Research Club.
Among the research projects that will be showcased during the symposium are:
- The effects of moral framing on climate change attitudes and conservation behaviors
- Exercise and body composition measurement – this is one of several projects was conducted in the OSU-Cascades FORCE Lab
- Riparian restoration on Crooked River using beaver dam analogs
- Ecological restoration of standing dead wood
- Avian gut hypothesis for a new probiotic bacteria
- Young adults’ view of community support services in Central Oregon
- The relationship between preschool teachers’ wellbeing and children’s experiences
- Traditional gender roles of women and outdoor experiences
The symposiums is open to the public. For more information call 541-322-3100 or visit http://osucascades.edu/osu-cascades-student-research-projects-showcase.
About OSU-Cascades: Oregon State University’s branch campus in Bend, Ore., features outstanding faculty in degree programs that reflect Central Oregon’s vibrant economy and abundant natural resources. Nearly 20 undergraduate majors, 30 minors and options, and four graduate programs include computer science, energy systems engineering, kinesiology, hospitality management, and tourism and outdoor leadership. The branch campus expanded to a four-year university beginning fall 2015; its new campus will open in fall 2016.