Office of Student Research

2025 Student Research Conference

April 17, 2025

Conference Information

Truman’s 2025 Student Research Conference will be held on Thursday, April 17. Face-to-face oral, poster, performance art, and studio art presentations will be facilitated. Undergraduate and graduate students from all academic disciplines are invited to present their scholarly or creative work.

Questions about the Student Research Conference should be directed to the Office of Student Research via email at osr@truman.edu.

 

Plenary Speaker – Dr. Danielle T. Cooper

Ethics, Optimism, and Relationships: Keys to Courageous Research

April 17, 11:45 am – 12:45 pm

Magruder Hall 2001. Refreshments served.

Danielle T. Cooper, PhD, CPP is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and the Director of Research at the Tow Youth Justice Institute at the University of New Haven. She additionally serves as the Chair of the Criminal Justice Undergraduate Committee and Co-Chair of the IDEA Council.

Dr. Cooper received her B.S. in Justice Systems (with a minor in Business Administration) in 2009, her M.A. in Criminology from the University of Florida in 2011, and her Ph.D. in Criminology (with a minor in Organizational Leadership for Nonprofits) from the University of Florida in 2015. She is also a Certified Prevention Professional (certified in FL and CT) who works with nonprofits and community organizations as a prevention trainer and evaluation consultant.

For more than 15 years, she has been conducting research and teaching in the areas of youths and young adults, juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, criminological theory, and sex offending. As a committed Educator, Researcher, and Preventionist, she brings her expertise to various practical discussions on juvenile justice policy reform, the experiences of individuals committing sexual offenses, and police-authority dynamics within fragile and marginalized communities. Through her work with the local community, she has collaborated with key stakeholders, such as youth and their parents, young adults, educators, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and youth serving organizations.

Over the past few years, Dr. Cooper has been honored with the 2019 Faculty of the Year Award, 2021 MO-KAN-NE TRIO Achiever Alumni Award, the 2021 Faculty Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging Award, and the 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Vision Faculty Award. She also completed her two-year role as one of four inaugural Faculty Teaching Fellows for the Center for Teaching Excellence appointed in 2021. Most recently, in 2024, she was awarded a fellowship to participate in the Faculty Leadership Program hosted by the RAND Pardee Graduate School.

 

Information for Conference Attendees

Face-to-face oral presentations will be held in the Student Union Building and Magruder Hall on the day of the Student Research Conference. A list of presentations that are scheduled for each session can be found in the conference schedule.  If you are interested in viewing specific presentations, then it is recommended to stay within that room as presentations may occur at a different time from what is posted.

2025 Program can be found HERE.

Information for Student Presenters

Oral presentations will be held in the Student Union Building and Magruder Hall on the day of the Student Research Conference. To find your scheduled presentation time and location, find your abstract here (you can find your abstract by scrolling down to ‘TOTAL’, selecting ‘Authors’, and then searching for your last name). Each presentation is scheduled within a session, which can be found here. You should arrive at your scheduled session 15 minutes before the session begins to upload your presentation (i.e. 15 minutes before the first presentation within your session). You should stay for the entire session in which you are presenting and dress professionally.

Oral presentations are scheduled for 15 minutes each including time for questions (recommend a 12-minute presentation). A computer and projector will be available in each session room. Presenters who wish to deliver computer-based presentations should use software packages that are standardly available on campus computers such as PowerPoint or PDF. It is recommended to bring your presentation on a portable flash drive. Students will not have time between speakers to log in to email, so it is not recommended to present using Google Slides. A moderator will be present in each room to help you upload your presentation before the scheduled session begins and keep on track with time while presenting.

The Poster Session will be held in the Activities Room of the Student Union Building on the day of the Student Research Conference. You should be in the Activities Room standing next to your poster for formal discussion. You should stay for the entire session and dress professionally.

Poster walls and push pins will be provided to display your poster. Posters should be no taller or wider than 33 inches; however, the final poster size within those limits can be at the discretion of the student author. Poster locations will be identified with a poster number. To find your poster number, find your abstract here (you can find your abstract by scrolling down to ‘TOTAL’, selecting ‘Authors’, and then searching for your last name). The poster number is listed as the ‘Session’ number. You should hang your poster before the Poster Session begins at 3:00 pm.

Performance art presentations will be held in the Student Union Building on the day of the Student Research Conference. To find your scheduled presentation time and location, find your abstract here (you can find your abstract by scrolling down to ‘TOTAL’, selecting ‘Authors’, and then searching for your last name). Each presentation is scheduled within a session, which can be found here. You should arrive at your scheduled session 15 minutes before the session begins to upload your presentation (i.e. 15 minutes before the first presentation within your session). You should stay for the entire session in which you are presenting and dress professionally.

Performance art presentations are scheduled for 15 minutes each including time for questions (recommend a 12-minute presentation). The requested equipment (music stands, piano, etc.) will be available in each session room. A moderator will be present in each room to help you set up for your presentation before the scheduled session begins and keep on track with time while presenting.

Studio Art exhibits and the Annual Juried Student Exhibition will be on display in the University Art Gallery (OP 1114) on the day of the Student Research Conference. You should be in the Art Gallery standing next to your artwork for formal discussion. You should stay for the entire session and dress professionally.

What are the benefits to the students?

  • the development of skills to function more independently
  • the opportunity to put classroom knowledge into practice
  • the identification of career interests
  • the building of mentor relationships between faculty and students
  • the stimulation that comes with critical thinking
  • the opportunity to participate in new discoveries
  • the ability to better understand research methodologies
  • the stimulation of creativity
  • the increased likelihood of acceptance into graduate or professional school
  • the ability to communicate to a wide audience
  • recognition by one’s peers
  • the sheer excitement created by intellectual activity
  • the opportunity to earn wages or academic credit
  • the enhanced ability to grasp the philosophy of life-long learning

Tips for abstract submission and presentation preparation

  1. Communicate with your faculty mentor early. Your mentor is a professional; you will soon become a professional. Learn from her/him the proper procedures for designing and presenting your project. Let them know early your hopes and aspirations for the conference, so that they may guide you through this experience.
  2. Have your mentor review your material. Your mentor should view your abstract before it’s submitted so you can make the necessary revisions. You should also work with your mentor before presenting at the Student Research Conference to make sure your presentation is of professional quality.
  3. Practice and time your talk. In preparation for a professional conference, you should practice and time your presentation. Be professional.
  4. Use slides judiciously. A professional uses PowerPoint as an aid to outline and guide a presentation, not to substitute for a presentation.

On the day of the Student Research Conference

  • You do not need a hard copy of your presentation.
  • Dress professionally. Your appearance communicates your competency, both at this conference and in all other professional situations.
  • Arrive ~15 minutes before your scheduled session begins and stay for the entirety of your scheduled session.

Call for Abstracts

Abstract Submission Deadline: March 20, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST

 

Submit an Abstract

Abstract Submission Guidelines

All abstracts are due by 11:59 pm CST on March 20, 2025. Faculty mentors must approve abstract submissions by 11:59 pm CST on March 22.

An eligible presentation will report, perform, or represent the outcome of substantial work by a student or group of students. While the project may have its origin in an assignment for a class, the presentation should show it has been developed above and beyond a class requirement. It is a paper, artifact or performance that can truly be called a creative achievement.

Each presentation should be sponsored or co-sponsored by a Truman faculty mentor(s); non-sponsored abstracts will not be accepted. If students wish to present scholarly work that has been conducted during an off-campus scholarly experience, and the faculty mentor is from a different institution, the student should identify a Truman faculty member to be a co-sponsor of the presentation and to help with planning the presentation.

Each presentation requires an abstract. An abstract is a summary of the project, and should reflect the professional format normally associated with scholarly work in the discipline (e.g., an abstract of an artistic performance may be similar to the program notes that typically accompany such a performance; scientific abstracts typically include background information, methods, results, and a brief discussion). All abstracts will appear on the conference website.

Students can be the first author on a maximum of two abstracts. Both single- and multiple-author presentations are welcome. The student submitting the abstract will be listed as the first author. Each abstract should only be submitted by one student.

Student authors should adhere to professional submission standards when preparing abstracts and should work with their faculty mentors to ensure that their abstract is correct, complete, and that all guidelines are followed. The body of the abstract should not exceed 150 words, and it can be composed and edited using standard word processing software. The final abstract, along with other information, will need to be submitted via the online submission form. Examples of past abstracts can be viewed here.

Abstracts and other relevant information for all presentations should be submitted via the online submission form. Copies of the information submitted will be emailed to the student presenter(s) and the faculty mentor(s). The submission site will open in February, and the deadline for receiving abstracts is March 20, 2024, at 5:00 pm CST.

 

Presentation Types

Student authors should select the presentation type and disciplines related to this presentation when the abstract is submitted. Please note that your presentation may not necessarily be grouped with others of the same discipline as presentations are compiled in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary sessions based on the overall distribution of abstracts submitted. Any special requests need to be made when the abstract is submitted. The presentation format options are listed below.

Face-to-Face Presentations

Oral presentations are scheduled for 15 minutes each including time for questions. A computer and projector will be available in each session room. Presenters who wish to deliver computer-based presentations should use software packages that are standardly available on campus computers. Presenters should indicate on their online submission form if additional audio-visual equipment is needed. A moderator will be present in each room to help you upload your presentation and keep on track with time while presenting.

Student presenters should stand by their work for discussion and questions during their scheduled poster session. Poster walls and push-pins will be provided for poster display. Posters should be no taller or wider than 33 inches; however, the final poster size within those limits can be at the discretion of the student author.

Performance art presentations are examples of theatrical or musical performances, or a combination of the two. The performances are scheduled for 15 minutes each, including time for discussion and questions. Equipment needs (music stands, piano, etc.) should be requested when the abstract is submitted.

Art exhibits are examples of creative work from the fields of painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, fibers, or visual communications. Student presenters should stand by their work for discussion and questions during the scheduled studio art session.

 

Information for Faculty Mentors

Due to the size and scope of the Student Research Conference, acceptance of student abstract submissions is at the discretion of the faculty mentor. Consequently, each student presentation must be sponsored by a Truman faculty mentor.

The Office of Student Research will rely on faculty mentors to work with their student(s) to ensure that abstracts are correct, complete, and the result of eligible work (see submission guidelines above). The Program Committee reserves the right to reject an abstract that is incomplete, is not the result of eligible work, or does not follow the submission guidelines even if it has been accepted by the faculty mentor.

Each presentation must have a faculty mentor. If students are presenting work done off-campus, for example during an internship, they must identify a Truman faculty member as a co-sponsor. Abstracts that lack faculty sponsorship will not be accepted. Your involvement in the work to be presented at the Student Research Conference is therefore essential. Without you, there can be no conference. You should know about the responsibilities of mentoring as well as the significant benefits it can confer.

As a faculty mentor, you should familiarize yourself with the outlined Presentation Types and Submission Guidelines. Before you agree to be a mentor, you should make sure the proposed work is eligible and you should work with the students involved in preparing the abstract and getting ready for the presentation.

While the primary goal of the conference is to encourage and reward student research, scholarship, and creative activity, faculty mentors should remember that their student’s presentation also reflects upon themselves and their academic discipline and division.

At the very minimum, faculty mentors should:

1) Ensure that the student(s) have complied with the submission guidelines

2) Proof-read the abstract prior to submission and give the student(s) appropriate feedback and editing

3) Formally approve the abstract submission

4) Preview the presentation prior to the conference and give appropriate feedback to enhance the quality of the presentation

  • The stimulation and confidence that accompanies creative thinking
  • The opportunity to mentor enthusiastic, high-quality students
  • The enhanced ability to remain current in one’s field and discipline
  • The excitement created by intellectual activity and participation in new discoveries
  • The recognition by one’s internal and external peers
  • The reinvigoration of one’s career
  • The chance to improve teaching techniques, such as in investigative laboratories (or workshops)
  • The ability to transfer results from one’s scholarship into the classroom
  • The ability to promote the concept of life-long learning for students

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