WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Last week, students of the University of Maine at Farmington traveled to Connecticut to exchange projects and ideas with fellow undergraduates hailing from a half dozen states.
The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges or COPLAC hosted the regional undergraduate research conference at the Eastern Connecticut State University. The program was designed to give students from different universities a chance to share their scholarly and creative work with their peers and professors.
Over the course of two days, seniors of six different college campuses presented projects in the academic areas of natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
“There were just so many interesting projects and so many people willing to share their knowledge,” said Cathryn Cunningham, an attending senior from UMF with an anthropology and sociology major. “It was really easy to settle in once things got under way.”
Cunningham was nominated to represent UMF’s Department of Social Sciences and presented a paper on the nature of neanderthal society. Although initially unsure of what to expect at the conference, Cunningham said that the atmosphere proved to be ultimately motivating.
“What was really interesting was that most of the other presentations tied into what I was learning in class. It was like an inter-connectivity between my classes and the interests of other people,” she said. “It was really cool to have a conversation with someone about a subject you’re interested with outside of school.”
The colleges participating were the Eastern Connecticut State University, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Ramapo College of New Jersey, State University of New York, Keene State College, along with UMF. Students were nominated for COPLAC through the recommendations of their advisors.
“I felt like I hadn’t done many things to get me ready for grad school. I felt like this really helped to get me in the mindset,” Cunningham said. “It’s intellectually and socially a learning experience. Although it’s a short period of time, it’s definitely worthwhile time.”
There are a total of 27 COPLAC campuses in 25 states with one Canadian province. According to the director of COPLAC, “High-impact, real world experiences like undergraduate research is part of a larger effort to provide opportunities that are integral to long-term professional success.”
Although the regional undergraduate research conference for the New England area has only been active for the past three years, the program intends to continue its mission to increase the awareness and value of a public liberal arts education within a student-centered, residential environment.
