Montana State to celebrate student research on May 1

BOZEMAN - From analyzing the economic impact of drought on Montana agriculture to examining how the Galectin-3 protein affects lung carcinoma, the topics student researchers explore at Montana State University are vast. A microcosm of the university's research will be on display during the Student Research Celebration on Friday, May 1.

More than 220 undergraduate and graduate students will present their work in the Strand Union Ballrooms for the 32nd annual event. The celebration 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 the event will conclude at 3 p.m.

"This event can be eye opening and hugely inspiring for participants as well as visitors," said Valerie Dewey, Undergraduate Scholars Program coordinator. "I always come away from the event feeling hopeful for the future, seeing all the creative and vital research happening on campus."

Student research presented at the celebration has important applications across agriculture, engineering, health care, music and other disciplines, all of which receive support from MSU as an R1 institution, a designation denoting very high research output and doctoral education awarded by the CarnegieFoundation. Of the university's $288.7 million in research expenditures during the 2024-25 fiscal year, a record $14.5 million supported research by 654 graduate students and 803 undergraduate students, many who were involved in the Undergraduate Scholars Program.

The Student Research Celebration allows participants to communicate the "big picture" of their day-to-day research work to the public and acknowledge their ability to overcome unexpected roadblocks in their projects, Dewey said.

"Students will strengthen their identity as emerging researchers by sharing with peers, faculty, staff and the public - and the university will have the opportunity to share the research we do here as a land-grant university," said Anna Tuttle, director of Undergraduate Research.

The event is hosted by MSU's Undergraduate Scholars Program and the  Undergraduate Research Council. For more information, visit the Student Research Celebration website.