Prairie View A&M University hosted the 13th Annual Research Symposium where undergraduate and graduate students from various Universities presented research to their peers. Around 104 students ranging from freshmen to graduate students participated in this year’s event. The Symposium kicked off Thursday morning with a keynote from professors and students in different parts of their research journey and an introduction from the Dean of the College of Juvenile Justice, Tamara Brown Ph.D., who spoke on the benefits of research in a student’s academic career. “One of the things we know is student participation in research is vital to their success while they are students, and to their success, once they graduate,” said Brown.

She phrased the Research Symposium as a cross-pollination of ideas amongst people in different majors, institutions and faculty advisors.
Brown also said there are hard and soft skills students learn doing research that help you learn things like resilience and critical thinking. These skills translate into the classroom and make what students are learning in the classroom come alive, “Now it informs and connects what they are learning in the classroom, fosters student success and keeps them engaged,” said Brown.

Cynthia Lewis is a senior Chemical Engineering major from Houston who participated in the Research Symposium. Although she was required to participate, Lewis said she is grateful to have the opportunity to present the research she had been working on all semester. She is hoping individuals who visit her poster leave with a better understanding of how the different chemicals we use can help reduce the number of emissions that are released into the environment. “With my research, I was able to create a compound that is used to take away the negative and toxic things in the environment,” said Lewis, “This project is in the beginning phase, but I hope future students will continue building on the foundation I have provided and get better data.”

Oluwatosin Opeoluwa, a graduate student in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, presented on the assessment of extension services in the growing and usage of Moringa oleifera amongst small holder farmers. “Moringa is the tree life and according to the research and the best seed, leaf, and tree that has greater nutrients that you can find in any other plant,” said Opeoluwa. She gained interest in the plant due to her working with cooperative extension in the CAHS. “I see the reason for the College of Agriculture and Human Science to collaborate with some of the Nigerian institutions who can actually have good extensions services,” said Opeoluwa, “like certifications for them to be the best in providing information for those farmers.”

The research conducted and produced by the students during the Research Program has the potential to make an influence on the world around them. “I just hope students take full advantage of the learning part which is going around and visiting the other presentations because it opens your minds and makes you think critically and form different questions,” said Brown.