JOHNSTOWN, Pa (PTTP) – For most people, SPACE likely means a vast area filled with stars, planets, and black holes that spans across the universe. At Pitt-Johnstown, SPACE stands for the Symposium for the Promotion of Academic and Creative Enquiry, the regional campus’s annual undergraduate research conference.
Walking into the conference room for the first time, sophomore secondary education in chemistry major Korina Pebley saw a “maze” of posters that contained research projects stretching from psychology to literature to history and, of course, chemistry. “It was definitely packed,” said Pebley, with many students and faculty.
For some students, presenting research at SPACE is the culmination of their academic education. Senior biology major Elaynah Pirzada has been working with chemistry professor Dr. Manisha Nigam for three semesters on a project aimed at making chemistry education more sustainable.
For faculty attending SPACE, assistant professor Dr. Matthew Tracey says SPACE offers an opportunity to network with other researching professors across the campus and potentially even spark new collaborations.
Senior biochemistry major Michael Moslak says getting a research position with a faculty member isn’t all that difficult on a regional campus. “It’s pretty cool just to go up after class and ask [professors] like, hey would I be able to do research with you.” Dr. Tracey also agrees that doing research at Pitt-Johnstown is more personable and undergraduate students get more hands-on, one-on-one experience.
The next opportunity to learn more about Pitt-Johnstown’s undergraduate research projects will be in the fall during the Fall into Research conference.