The 2025 Spring Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), will be held April 8-11. The OUR holds research fairs during the fall, spring and summer academic sessions, where undergraduate students present posters, talks and virtual sessions for feedback. 

Faculty, staff, graduate students, and retirees are encouraged to register to judge, providing feedback on participants' ability to communicate their research to the Purdue community, explains JJ Sadler, OUR associate director. He adds that all of Purdue’s academic colleges are represented during the conferences, with undergraduate researchers from Purdue’s West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations presenting. 

Sadler says growing undergraduate participation will require a greater reliance on the many faculty, staff, retirees, and graduate students who partner with the OUR to volunteer as a judge for these events. Volunteer opportunities for the Spring Conference are now open on the OUR Judge Registration webpage.

First-year engineering student Architha Rao was one of over 1,000 students to present at the Fall Expo in November, which had record levels of participation. Though she says presenting her research felt intimidating, especially during her first year, the feedback she received has encouraged her to continue pursuing research and innovation. 

Senior mechanical engineering student Kyle Wiegand says his favorite part of participating in OUR’s research presentations is interacting with graduate students and professors. “You get to know them, they get to know your research and you get to know their research,” Wiegand adds. 

Purdue students in Indianapolis also participated in the Fall Expo, which Purdue student Elias Malak says shows “we’re all working toward common solutions, we’re all contributing to one Purdue.”

Malak’s groupmates Nadia Bailén Boluda and Taran Kamireddy added that the connection to the West Lafayette location creates opportunities for more resources to further their research.

Students representing Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE), a government-funded program for semiconductor workforce development, presented 20 posters at the Fall Expo.

Brendan Duffy and Jack Felazzo, Purdue seniors in SCALE, describe the Fall Expo as a way to reflect on how their current work relates to their future. “You figure out how much you’ve learned so far and pinpoint where you want to go from there, like a future job or graduate school,” says Duffy. 

Felazzo also appreciated learning “the finer points of presenting,” such as public speaking and professionalism.

The Purdue Military Research Institute (PMRI), which connects military partners with research projects significant to the Department of Defense, presented four posters in collaboration with the United States Military Academy West Point.

Dave Hankins, senior project manager for PMRI says, “it allowed us to strengthen ties with military partners such as West Point, while showcasing on-campus graduate school opportunities where they could see facilities and meet with faculty.”

The 2025 Spring Undergraduate Research Conference provides another opportunity for campus partners and students to continue promoting their investment in innovation. For more information on supporting undergraduate researchers, visit the OUR website.