UB to honor student achievement at annual Celebration of Student Academic Excellence

UB will gather on April 26 to recognize student achievement at the annual Celebration of Student Academic Excellence. All members of the UB community are welcome to attend to honor the hard work of many exceptional students throughout the academic year.

The 14th annual event will kick off at 1 p.m. in the Center for the Arts atrium with the Outstanding Research, Scholarship and Creativity Poster exhibition showcasing outstanding undergraduate research from disciplines throughout the university.

“While none of this is possible without the talented research and faculty mentors who steer each project, I am always amazed that these are true collaborations,” said Tim Tryjankowski, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (CURCA). “In a classroom setting or class lab, the faculty member expects or demands a certain outcome in teaching and grading the student. When it comes to these research and creative projects, there is not a final answer or end game. The team of faculty and student is out to discover and take the work as far as they can go.”

Students taking part in the poster exhibition will be available to talk about their research from 1-3 p.m. They also will present their work to judges for consideration for a UB Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity.

The poster exhibition “is a showcase of discovery and that is what higher education should always be about,” added Tryjankowski. “That drive to discovery needs to be fed, and the 2018 celebration will continue our efforts to do just that.”

Following the poster exhibition, President Satish K. Tripathi and Provost Charles F. Zukowski will host a celebration ceremony at 3:30 p.m. in the Mainstage theater.

Recognized at the ceremony will be recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence, the UB Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award and the Clifford C. Furnas Scholar-Athlete Award, among others. Nominees for prestigious national and international awards, such as the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship and the British Marshall scholarship, also be recognized.

The ceremony will also include a dance performance, “Human,” choreographed and performed by UB students.

More information on the event, including award info and respective recipients and nominees, can be found on the Celebration of Academic Excellence website. Those attending are asked to register by April 19.