The University of Lethbridge will host many of the finest undergraduate student researchers in the province at the 4th Annual Undergraduate Research in Science Conference of Alberta (URSCA), Apr. 29-30, 2018.

A celebration of Alberta discovery and innovation at the earliest stage of post-secondary education, URSCA will feature over 90 undergraduate student demonstrations showcasing young Alberta researchers and their work through oral presentations and poster displays.

“Gone are the days when most researchers begin their original research at the graduate level,” says Dr. Matthew Letts, associate dean of the University’s Faculty of Arts & Science. “Increasingly, student-focused, research-intensive institutions are not only encouraging hands-on research in the laboratory and in the field at the undergraduate level but are also providing a wide range of experiential education opportunities.”

Dr. Ute Kothe (Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry) will kick off the conference by presenting The Citizenship of Being a Researcher on Sunday, Apr. 29, 7 p.m. in Markin Hall Atrium. Based on Kothe’s experience in undergraduate research and having supervised more than 50 undergraduate researchers in biochemistry, she will share how undergraduate research equips students with transferable skills to the benefit of both their careers and society as a whole.

Dr. David Naylor (Department of Physics and Astronomy) will give the keynote address, Developing the Technology for the Next Generation of Space Exploration Missions (11:30 a.m., Urban Lounge), at which he will describe the technology development activities being conducted at the U of L, the lead Canadian institution in the ESA/JAXA SPICA mission.

Poster displays will be set up in the University Centre for the Arts Atrium with oral presentations taking place throughout the day. For a full schedule of events, visit the URSCA website.