The College of Education and Human Service Professions will hold its first annual interdisciplinary research and scholarship event on Tuesday, April 20.
Associate Professor Jolene Hyppa-Martin says the event was conceived when faculty members from different departments noticed that the College of Education and Human Service Professions had a number of annual department and program-level showcases featuring student research. They thought it would be beneficial to combine these into one college-wide event.
“Interdisciplinary discussions and experiences are important in CEHSP because they foster interprofessional education and form a foundation for interprofessional practice among our students,” explains Hyppa-Martin. “We thought it would be valuable for our presenting students to have the opportunity to see the great work that goes on in other departments and the opportunity to interact with and learn from other CEHSP students.”
Hyppa-Martin, who teaches in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, worked with Associate Professor Rebecca Gilbertson from the Department of Psychology and Assistant Professor Jessica Hanson in the Department of Applied Human Sciences to secure funding from the Chancellor’s Faculty Small Grant Program to organize the 2021 CEHSP Research and Scholarship Showcase.
Forty-seven students are scheduled to present posters at the event. Graduate and undergraduate students will give short, interactive presentations in their areas of study, which include public health, exercise science, education, psychology, environmental/outdoor education, and communication sciences and disorders.
Hyppa-Martin says attendees can expect to see how CEHSP students “contribute to the Duluth community positively through meaningful, application-oriented, human services-focused research and scholarship that benefit our surrounding community.”
Attendees can enter and leave the virtual conference at any point during the event. Students will present a wide range of research topics, from domestic violence during the pandemic to improving social inclusion for people experiencing dementia and teaching multilingual learners.
The event is open to the public and runs from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. A general session from 12:15–1 p.m will feature a panel of CEHSP students who have completed research and scholarly projects at UMD. They'll talk about how their projects influenced their future career and education plans as well as share tips with other students considering getting involved in research.
Originally, the showcase was to be held at the library. But the pandemic necessitated an online format. Hyppa-Martin suggests there’s a benefit to this change. “Having the event be virtual this year means that folks like parents, family members, and internship supervisors from out of town can attend online to see their student's presentation—that would not be possible if we were in-person!”
In subsequent years, organizers intend to hold the event in a high-traffic area on campus to attract an even broader audience. “We want people from every college in the university to see the outstanding work done by our CEHSP students,” says Hyppa Martin.
More opportunities to see CEHSP student research and scholarship from 2021
The 19th annual Twin Ports Undergraduate Psychology Conference happens on Monday, April 19. See the TPUP 2021 website for more information and to learn more about this year's student participants, who are from UMD, UWS, and CSS. UMD student researchers are presenting on topics such as mindfulness-based interactions on health anxiety during the pandemic and the effect of political affiliation on willingness to wear a mask during COVID-19.
The UMD Public Health Program is also holding a 2021 virtual showcase of student projects called “Adapting Together.” Projects touch on public health research, education, and coaching. Students will also present on their internships and other leadership roles. The showcase can be viewed from April 19–30.
