With over 130 scheduled presentations, this year’s Student Research and Creative Discovery Conference will have a lot of new faces.

Many of the students who present will be competing for national academic honors.

Richard England, chair of the Undergraduate Research Task Force, said the conference is an opportunity for participants to show their skills and projects off to the world.

An array of disciplines will be represented at the conference, set to start at 12:15 p.m. Friday in the University Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. These subjects include kinesiology, education, business and the fine arts.

The conference is open to the public.

England said he is excited for this year’s conference because it gives him the opportunity to learn about topics he knows nothing about.

Each student has a faculty mentor who helps them with their presentation.

This relationship forged between the faculty mentor and the student is just as important as the research conducted by the participants, England said.

England said the conference is about more than just bragging rights.

Rather, it is a practice room for the students to hone their skills, he said, which will potentially set them apart from other applicants when looking for jobs.

There are several Eastern alumni who have participated in the conference who have gone on to receive accolades for work in their respective discipline.

He said this conference is a chance for future pupils to become inspired by the work of current participants.

England said underclassmen can seek out a faculty mentor they trust to help them participate in upcoming conferences,

“The most enthusiastic researchers you meet are the ones just starting,” he said.

The conference will be in several conference rooms of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union and the Doudna Fine Arts Center.  Pizza and other refreshments will be provided.

Rashod Whitaker can be reached at 581-2812 or rawhitaker@eiu.edu.