On the Dartmouth campus, the month of May marks the annual celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creativity—activities that are integral to the Dartmouth experience. Undergraduate research projects engage the students’ intellectual curiosity, address their thirst for discovery, and offer an outlet for their creativity.

Students and faculty participate in these interactive enterprises, which are designed to encourage critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, self-confidence, and intellectual independence.

In coming days, Dartmouth Now will profile undergraduate students engaged in research, scholarship, and creativity:

• Celeste Winston ’14: Researching Urban Racial Dynamics
• Liliana Ma ’14: On Research and Thinking Outside the Box
• Melinda Marlén Agron ’14: Researching Architectural Spaces
• Nick O’Leary ’14: Researching the World of Theater
• Nina Montgomery ’14: Classics Research Illuminates Roman History

“Dartmouth offers a unique environment to foster undergraduate research and scholarship,” says President Phil Hanlon ’77. “On the one hand, there is research and innovation taking place here that rival, intellectually, the most compelling work being done at the largest research universities. Yet the close working relationships between students and faculty made possible by our small size allows undergraduates to engage in this research in a way simply unheard of on a much larger campus. It’s a rare opportunity elsewhere, but it’s a distinctive part of the Dartmouth education, and I am thrilled when we get a chance to celebrate this.”

The month’s celebration includes a series of activities that highlight undergraduate research. The scheduled events aim to increase awareness of these undertakings, celebrate independent initiatives by students in collaboration with faculty, and encourage current students and prospective students to pursue new opportunities.

Karen E. Wetterhahn Science Symposium

• Keynote address at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, in the Oopik Auditorium of the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center: “Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Education: Fostering Innovation in Africa” by G. Ayorkor (Mills-Tettey) Korsah, ’01, Thayer ’03, co-founder of the African Robotics Network and a leader in using robotics to inspire African high school students in STEM education. She is an assistant professor in the computer science department at Ashesi University in Ghana, where she teaches courses in programming, algorithms, and artificial intelligence robotics.
• Undergraduate Poster Session, 5-7 p.m. in the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center

President’s Undergraduate Research Symposium

• Tuesday, May 27, 2014, 4-5:30 p.m., in the main hallway of Baker-Berry Library,

An informal poster session features undergraduate students and their research projects.

Arts at Dartmouth Awards Ceremony

• Wednesday, May 28. 4:30-6 p.m., Moore Theater at the Hopkins Center
• The annual Arts Awards ceremony celebrates student achievement in the arts.  This year, Dartmouth’s academic arts departments and the Hop confer more than 84 awards to 69 students across the disciplines, featuring Timothy Greenberg, ’92, a producer of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. There will also be vignettes showcasing memorable student art-making moments during the year.
• After the ceremony, there will be a reception in the Jaffe Friede and Strauss galleries, where an exhibition features artwork by graduating studio art majors.