Virtual expo highlights New Kensington students’ research

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. – Twenty-four student research projects as part of the 2020 Penn State New Kensington Research and Student Engagement Expo can be viewed online at newkensington.stfpaddington.com/Virtual-Research-Expo.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the University’s transition to a remote learning environment in March, the annual in-person research event originally scheduled for April 9 was canceled. However, faculty and staff quickly worked to create a plan for this academic year’s student research projects to still be showcased. Using the Canvas learning management system, as well as the Adobe Spark platform, thanks to free access to Adobe Creative Cloud for students and staff, students worked to present their projects virtually.

This year’s projects covered a variety of topics such as artificial intelligence, art, clean air, mindfulness, and even chocolate. Student participants were mentored by faculty members who provided guidance throughout the academic year. 

Three students were also chosen to receive Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy prizes from Penn State's University Libraries. The winning students will receive award certificates, as well as $50 gift cards.

The 2020 winners from Penn State New Kensington include: Shannon Huston, Kylie Meyer and Elizabeth Schachte. The award recognizes scholarly work of students who demonstrate information literacy skills in relation to their research and presentations.

To view projects, visit http://newkensington.stfpaddington.com/Virtual-Research-Expo and click on individual project links, which will direct viewers to the related Adobe Spark project pages.

Faculty, staff and members of the public are also invited to share reviews of presentations to offer constructive feedback for students.

To submit a review of a presentation, visit the online presentation review form.