The 10th annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium (URCA) will be held this Tuesday, Apr. 9 in the Myers Convocation Center from 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The symposium is free and open to the public.

The symposium will be hosted by Ashland University’s College of Arts and Sciences and will feature 55 performances, presentations and exhibitions given by 66 students and alumni.

Throughout the day, there will be seven one-hour oral presentation sessions that will each include four different presenters. Separating those seven sessions will be two one-hour poster and exhibition sessions that will take place in the Alumni Room.

Dr. Dawn Weber, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the symposium follows the format of a professional conference with students presenting original research, performing musical selections, reading original creative writing and exhibiting artwork.

In a statement to the press, Weber said the CAS is “delighted to share with the public and campus community highlights of the outstanding work being conducted by our students in departments across the fine and performing arts, humanities, natural science and social science disciplines.”

After the success of featuring alumni presentations at last years symposium, this year will feature two arts and sciences alumni, Jennifer Tully and Jennifer Winkler.

Other presentations that will be featured in the symposium include “Media Influence on Islamophobia” by junior psychology major Dana Awlia and “Connecting with the Saints: A Protestant’s Pilgrimage into the World of Relics” by senior health and risk communication major Kaitlyn Dailey.

This is Dailey’s first time presenting at the URCA Symposium and its was suggested by her adviser, Dr. Peter Slade, to submit an abstract to the committee following the presentation of her religion thesis this past December.

“I am really looking forward to sharing this passion of mine with others,” Dailey said. “I had the opportunity to participate in AU-sponsored study away tours to Germany and Italy where I first encountered relics. Having the opportunity to share with my peers and educators the synthesis of knowledge I have obtained in the classroom and how I applied it to my travel will be rewarding.”

Dailey urges students to attend at least one of the sessions to experience the passions that other students on this campus possess.

“At the end of the day, the purpose of college is to grow professionally and it is important that we embrace that,” Dailey said. “So by attending the URCA presentations, you will get to see what your peers are passionate about at an academic level.”

For the complete presentation schedule, please visit http://ashlandurca.blogspot.com/