The 28th annual Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (EURēCA), led by The Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (OURF) in the Division of Student Success, took place on April 23, 2024.
This year’s event, hosted in UT’s Student Union, featured 1,055 students showing 675 projects from a wide range of disciplines and methodologies.
On May 7 during a closing awards ceremony, participating colleges presented a total of 234 awards for excellence in undergraduate research and creative achievement. Eleven colleges were represented with students from over 59 departments participating.
“Undergraduate research is such a transformative experience that offers students the chance to apply their learning, develop important skills, and build relationships with mentors and faculty,” said URF Director Meredith Malburne-Wade. “EUReCA is the culmination of that hard work, and it is so exciting to witness not the work that has been done, but the growth that has occurred. It is clear to see what EUReCA is such an important event for our campus and our community.”
This year, student research was overseen by 286 faculty mentors, as well as postdocs and graduate students helping to mentor undergraduates in their research groups. In addition, 235 campus and industry judges participated, and division representatives worked with Undergraduate Research & Fellowships for the entire academic year to provide this opportunity for students.
Sarah Harper, a senior studying political science, public administration, and public policy, conceptualized a project featuring education, policy, and leadership research as part of a group called The Superintendent Lab.
“We do research on the nature of the superintendency in public schools,” Harper said. “So for my project I’m looking at the first national data set of superintendent mobility and attrition. So we look at superintendents and see if they are staying in the profession, leaving the profession, moving to other schools, or leaving the career field itself.”
Since 1997, EURēCA has become one of UT’s premier undergraduate research events and is an annual spring event that showcases research and creative activities across all disciplines by currently enrolled undergraduate students in collaboration with a faculty mentor.
Entries can be individual or group projects and are judged by a combination of UT Knoxville faculty members and community professionals. OURF coordinates this unique competition to encourage, support and reward undergraduate participation in the campus research enterprise.
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