Presenting your research

What is the significance of Fordham College at Rose Hill as opposed to Fordham University? A university implies a group of smaller colleges grouped together into one large body. The advantage of this is that Fordham has the resources of a big school but the individualized liberal arts education of a smaller school. How does that affect the students, you may ask? Well it does and in a big way, especially when it comes to research.

Roger Williams University, where Fordham is paying for me
to travel and present a research paper.

As a research university, Fordham provides a wide range of options for its undergraduate students in all different fields. I blogged about FURJ, our undergraduate research journal, in September of last year, but seeing your name isn’t the only fun (or beneficial) part of research. Fordham also offers travel grants to students who are invited to present their research at conferences around the country.

Dr. Ipsita Banerjee (Chemistry) receives a research
mentor award at a past symposium.

Last month, I received one of these travel grants to go to Roger Williams University for the Phi Alpha Theta Northeast Regional Conference. It’s a history conference organized by the national history honors society, and Fordham is paying for my transportation, hotel, and registration fees so I can present a paper I wrote for an American history class. Presenting at a conference may seem intimidating (I have a week left to prepare), but it is also a great experience for students interested in pursuing graduate degrees or students who just want to get out of their comfort zones and learn some more.

Fordham even hosts its own undergraduate research symposium at every April. There, more than 300 students come together to do poster presentations (which is a little more conversation than it is lecture) on their original research. FURJ also debuts there every year.