Seven things to do at Show Me Research Week 2024

The explorations, discoveries and creations of University of Missouri students and postdoctoral fellows are in the spotlight with the return of Show Me Research Week 2024 on April 8-12.

The second annual weeklong celebration of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral research and creative achievement includes three days of poster presentations, along with student art showcases, fashion exhibits, professional development opportunities, lectures and more. The week culminates on April 12 with an awards ceremony and closing reception.

Visit Show Me Research Week for more information, times and a complete list of events.

Here are seven things to do during the week:

1. Examine student research

The heart of the week is research and creative activity, with more than 550 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows presenting their work in several disciplines through posters and oral presentations. From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 9-11 in Memorial Union North, the Show Me Research Week Symposium highlights impactful endeavors from students and postdocs.

2. See an art show

Creative talent is the focus of several Show Me Research Week events, including undergraduate research students in the Arts, Social sciences or Humanities (ASH) Scholars program using fiber arts, painting, sculpture, photography and more to create the “Traces” interdisciplinary art exhibition. Elsewhere, undergraduate students display and discuss their scholarly work in an exhibition setting with the Visual Art and Design Showcase. School of Visual Studies students also will exhibit their work during the week.

3. Learn about accessible fashion

The Mizzou chapter of Runway of Dreams will exhibit adaptive apparel designs by Textile and Apparel Management students on April 9 and 10. Runway of Dreams is a foundation that empowers people with disabilities through fashion and beauty inclusion.

4. Maximize career opportunities

“Unlocking LinkedIn With AI: The Future of Professional Networking” and “10 Strategies for Virtual Collaboration” are just two of several professional development sessions during the week. Other topics include “Leadership in Academia: Activate Your Career Potential” and “Storytelling and the Value Proposition of Science Communication.”

5. Discover “the wisdom of the forest”

One of the world’s leading forest ecologists, Suzanne Simard, will discuss her New York Times bestseller, “Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest,” as part of the William A. Albrecht Lecture at 6 p.m. April 9 in Monsanto Auditorium in the Bond Life Sciences Center. A book signing will follow. 

6. Explore the humanities

Spotlighting the scholarship of undergraduate students in academic disciplines such as literature, philosophy, archaeology and more, Humanities Symposium contributors share research and creative projects connected to this year’s theme — Artificial Intelligence: Digital Literacy and Making the Future Accessible for All. The humanities focus includes a 10 a.m. April 12 lecture from Catherine Knight Steele in Jesse Wrench Auditorium in Memorial Union South. Steele is an assistant professor of communication at the University of Maryland.

7. Journey through history

History comes alive with the Santa Fe Trail Living History Exhibit from 1-3 p.m. April 11 on the Francis Quadrangle. The exhibit is part of a yearlong public history project conducted by a team of ASH Scholars at MU’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. At 5:30 p.m. April 11 in Monsanto Auditorium, historian and author Elliott West will deliver a speech titled, “The Santa Fe Trail: Three Centuries of Western History.” West is one of the stars of Ken Burns’ docuseries “The American Buffalo.”