Undergraduate students from all four of the academic colleges on campus are presenting their research at the third annual Showcase of Exploration and Inquiry of Undergraduates.

John Stimac, the dean of the Honors College, said Showcase EIU consists of 65 presentations from about 80 students.

“Showcase EIU is a celebration of the diversity of interests our students have,” Stimac said. “The fact that it brings undergraduate students together from all four of the colleges is very unique.”

Stimac said some of the students included in the showcase have presented their work nationally and others are doing on-going research for their projects.

“The showcase gives students a wonderful opportunity to talk to faculty and students who have done similar work, which will help to spark new ideas for them in the future,” Stimac said. “Students can benefit in a number of different ways, especially when they see their classmates presenting their research and they realize that they could do that as well.”

Showcase EIU is from 3 to 6 p.m. today in the Doudna Fine Arts Center and includes oral presentations and displays.

Stimac said there are a variety of different mediums to be presented such as artwork from a studio art class, technology relating to chemistry projects and journalism presentations.

“There will also be presentations by student teachers and one student is discussing how to effectively teach math to grade school children,” Stimac said. “This is truly an interdisciplinary showcase of undergraduate work and a great way to share and compare interests.”

Different posters and artwork will be displayed throughout the building and oral presentations begin at 3:15 p.m. in the Doudna Lecture Hall.

Stimac said Showcase EIU presenters submitted the title of their works, who they think is their faculty mentors and an abstract of their works to be reviewed by the Showcase EIU Committee.

“This gives students a chance to really work together and quantify their work by drawing out similarities and differences, and also by meeting other students who can perhaps help them with their research,” Stimac said.

He said this year’s Showcase EIU is different than previous years because they will include abstract summaries in the program to give people an overview of the different projects students have been doing.

“This is a great way to encourage colleagues and peers to support the hard work our undergraduate students have done, and those who attend will surely learn from it,” Stimac said.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or rjrodgers@eiu.edu.