Montana State to host annual Student Research Celebration on April 24

BOZEMAN - More than 220 posters highlighting the work of Montana State University students will be on display in the Strand Union Building ballrooms on April 24 for the university's 31st annual Student Research Celebration.

Undergraduate and graduate students will present their research on topics ranging from canine biomechanics to international reforestation efforts, as well as music and works of art. The event is free and open to the public, with the first round of poster sessions beginning at 10 a.m. Afternoon presentations start at 1 p.m., and refreshments will be provided throughout.

Anna Tuttle, MSU's director of Undergraduate Research, said such a wide variety of research topics is inspiring, particularly for young students discovering what is possible in their future. For example, she recalled, School of Art undergraduate Ian Anderson learned how to restore a 19th century boxwood clarinet in 2023, leading to his acceptance into the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

"One of the best things students can do to improve the outcomes of their undergraduate education is to be involved in something that builds community, provides them with unique experiences and dovetails with their learning," Tuttle said. "For some students, this can be research."

Valerie Dewey, coordinator for the Undergraduate Scholars Program, said many of the students spent at least a year working in a lab alongside faculty members to collect data and prepare a public presentation.

"Finding a project that they're really interested in could change the whole trajectory of their academic career," Dewey said. "It might light a fire under them to pursue a completely different research topic or continue the same path with more meaning and purpose."

The event is hosted by MSU's Undergraduate Scholars Program and Undergraduate Research Council. For more information, visit https://www.montana.edu/usp/research_celebration/student_research_celebration.html.