STEM students at the Arkansas State Capitol

Over 80 students from 13 Arkansas universities and colleges will present posters highlighting their original research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) on Friday, March 7, 2014 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Arkansas State Capitol Rotunda in Little Rock.

As part of Arkansas STEM Posters at the State Capitol, students will present 50 posters from all areas of natural science and mathematics. They will be stationed with their posters that include data and photographs. State lawmakers, high school students, media, and the general public can visit with students who will talk about their research.

Approximately 10 students from the University of Central Arkansas participated in research that will be displayed at the event.

Stephen Addison, interim dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, coordinated this year’s efforts. He stated, “This is a great opportunity for our students – it gives them the chance to showcase their research efforts. Having participated in and presented or published research as a student often makes the difference when a student applies for a job or when they apply for admission to cutting-edge graduate programs.”

One of the goals of the event is to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the level of complex research in natural sciences and mathematics conducted by students at Arkansas colleges and universities. Another goal is increase enrollment and retention of students in STEM fields.

This is the third consecutive year for the Arkansas STEM Posters at the State Capitol. The event is modeled after the STEM Posters program at Murray State University in Kentucky. Both are designed to mirror the Posters on the Hill event at the U.S. Capitol in even numbered years.

To learn more about the Arkansas STEM Posters at the State Capitol event, visit https://sites.google.com/site/ar2014stemposters/.