Baruch College Hosts International Undergraduate Research on a Global Stage

Baruch students join nine institutions across five continents to share projects via teleconferencing

October 24, 2019

Baruch College participated as the only U.S. site, along with student presentations, in the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), marking the sixth straight years of taking part in the global event. Via real-time teleconferencing, undergraduate students from nine institutions spanning five continents came together to share their research projects in fields ranging from technology, to economics, to the environment on September 24 and 25.

This year, 13 Baruch students joined undergraduates from Monash University in Australia and Singapore; University of Warwick and University of Leeds in the United Kingdom; Vrije Universiteit Brussels; University of British Columbia; Spain’s Pompeu Fabra University; and IIE MSA in South Africa. Representing The City University of New York were students from the College of Staten Island, Queens College, and Queensborough Community College.

Meet the Baruch Students

Undergraduates from the College’s three schools, Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Zicklin School of Business, participated in the two-day conference.

For Weissman student Josue Merida (’19), the conference was an opportunity to showcase his research to a broader audience.

“I wanted people to know the work we are doing and this was a great opportunity to do so,” said Merida (’19), a double major in biological sciences and psychology, who worked with Xyomara Wutoh-Hughes (’19) on the project, “Exploring Drosophila Melanogaster Musculature.”

According to Merida, their research focused on head musculature in the fruit fly, an area that has not been studied compared to abdominal musculature.

“Normally, when I’m talking about this work, it’s to somebody who has a pretty defined science base who is aware of the terms I am using,” he explained “For ICUR, I knew I had to change it up a little bit and make it more accessible and clear for people who may not be familiar with this topic.

Merida added, “Hearing people clap on the other side of the world about our research made it feel like there was a purpose.”

Mark Tria (’20), a public affairs major who frequently does public speaking, recommends other students to take advantage of the conference.

“Any time you do something different, it helps you out as a person,” Tria said in an interview. “If you just do what you are comfortable with, there is not a lot of growth potential there.”

Tria added, “I was very impressed with the depth and knowledge of all the ICUR projects. It was interesting to get different perspectives from people throughout the world. For example, I use phrases like NYCHA knowing it as the New York City Housing Authority, but people in Warwick do not know this term.

“Presenting to people from a different mindset and demographic is way different than I am used to. This event is certainly beneficial and helps to sharpen your skills.”

Watch “Trending@Baruch” Video: Get a look at the 2018 International Conference of Undergraduate Research at Baruch College. That year, students shared their projects with nearly 350 undergraduates from 10 universities in eight countries.

Baruch College’s participation in the 2019 ICUR was funded by the Office of Research of The City University of New York and the Baruch Harman Writer-in-Residence Program.

About ICUR

At the 2019 ICUR, students engaged in global research dialogue, discussed ideas about a variety of topics, and received immediate feedback from their peers. Throughout the year, ICUR participants received coaching in writing research abstracts and presentation skills.

According to ICUR, the event “challenges undergraduate students to rethink their work from an international and interdisciplinary perspective. Students examine global, regional, and local trends in their research field, while identifying connections between disciplines.”

Since 2014, over 1,700 students have presented at ICUR from approximately 300 internationally linked sessions.

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