IRIS was established in 2018 to give students from smaller institutions without the resources of major universities the opportunity to present their research and interact with students from other colleges and universities.
Are you looking to present your STEM undergraduate research at a conference? Presenting at SURF but want a low-stakes practice run and feedback on your presentation beforehand? Wanting to hear more information on exciting new STEM research? Or are you simply wanting to hear from professionals on what STEM-related job industries and graduate school programs look like?
On Saturday, April 17, 2021, an undergraduate research conference called Integrating Science in Research or IRIS will take place. IRIS was established in 2018 by a team of Wake Forest University students who wanted to give students from smaller institutions, without the resources of major universities, the opportunity to present their research and interact with students from other colleges and universities.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s IRIS conference will be held virtually. Each person wanting to present their research will be given their own breakout room and will have the opportunity to present their research to a group of judges and any other attendees. However, this feedback is only given for the benefit of the person presenting. There will be no prizes or awards given for the best presentations. This is done to ensure that this conference celebrates research and does not denigrate anybody’s efforts.
There will also be two 30- to 60-minute panels focusing on the jobs available in STEM fields and academia. IRIS will also feature an hour-long keynote speaker discussing exciting opportunities in research. This year’s speaker is Dr. Rebecca Alexander, Professor of Chemistry at Wake Forest University.
If you are interested in presenting your undergraduate STEM research at IRIS on Saturday, April 17, or are just interested in being an attendee, you can register at https://iris.wfu.edu/. Registration is free. The deadline to sign up is Saturday, April 3, 2021. There is a flyer attached with a QR code that can be scanned to go to the signup page as well. If you have any questions or would like more information on this event, contact Christopher Boyette at cboyette@elon.edu or 828-803-1355. We hope to see you there!