Briefly speaking: Students dig into research

For Jenny Bohn, research rocks.

The 24-year-old senior design major from Benicia, who has created mineral-inspired garments, will be among more than 300 undergraduates to present their research at a UC Davis conference on April 31 and May 1.

At UC Davis, where more than half of undergraduates conduct research before they graduate, the 21st annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & Creativities Conference familiarizes participants with the academic rigors of presenting research in a scholarly manner.

Students from all majors and academic disciplines present their research under the guidance of a faculty sponsor. About half will make oral presentations and half, poster presentations. This year, to accommodate the growing participation among student researchers, the conference — free and open to the pubic — has become a two-day event.

Bohn will present “Science and the Nature of Fashion.” Her conceptual theme is geological formations.

“I had come across a few books on minerals and was totally drawn in to the vivid and contrasting colors,” she said. “I started to explore the idea of humans’ effect on nature.”

More humanities, social sciences

Tammy Hoyer, senior program manager for the Undergraduate Research Center, said there has been a notable increase in participation among students in the humanities and social sciences, from 50 in 2008 to 89 this year.

Bohn said the increase makes sense. “It seems that students are taking more pride in their individual research,” she said, “and this conference is a great way to show off all of their hard work and become aware of what other students are working on.”

Bohn said her design professor, Susan Avila, encouraged her to participate because “the research at UC Davis is part of what separates our design program from other fashion or design schools.”

Avila echoed that sentiment. “It is a great opportunity to present their creative work in a professional environment,” she said. “It also allows students outside of design to understand the process and methodologies involved in building a fashion line.”

Developing skills

A recent study by the Center for Studies in Higher Education at UC Berkeley found that undergraduate research and engaging with faculty in creative projects improved students’ analytical and critical thinking, writing and social skills, and their ability to make presentations.

Bohn’s presentation will document her process of fabric dyeing and construction, and show images of the mineral sections that correlate with each piece. She hopes to have several of her own garments to show as well.

“When minerals are cut in thin sections and placed under a petrographic microscope, you can see each element in neon colors, which gives the mineral a stained glass effect,” she said. “I am contrasting the neon colors with the original neutrals of each mineral in my fabric designs.”

Poster sessions are from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 30, in Freeborn Hall. Oral sessions, like Bohn’s, are from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, in Wellman Hall. In mid-April, research abstracts will be posted on the conference’s Web site.

For more on undergraduate research opportunities, visit the Undergraduate Research Center.