ASU students present creative projects at honors symposium

Arizona State University Barrett, the Honors College students will be in the spotlight at the 2015 Celebrating Honors Symposium of Research and Creative Projects, April 14.

The college's Great Court and surrounding areas on the Tempe campus will be filled with more than 150 projects in a variety of academic disciplines. The projects, including research posters, videos, built objects and PowerPoint presentations, will be presented by honors students. The event is free and open to the public.

Barrett students major in academic areas throughout the university and, in addition, fulfill honors requirements, including a thesis or creative project.

Students in the symposium not only represent Barrett, but also their major colleges, including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, School of Sustainability, College of Health Solutions, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, School of Letters and Sciences, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the W.P. Carey School of Business.

According to Peggy Nelson, vice dean of the honors college, the symposium brings together research and creative projects from many disciplines, from archaeology to physics, from engineering to economics, from health care to humanities and the list goes on.

Many projects address real-world issues and offer hands-on solutions. Past projects include: 

• an exercise videotape for people recovering from burns at a local hospital

• a plan for producing challah bread and selling it as a fundraiser for a non-profit organization

• the development of an organization that consults with businesses on environmentally-friendly and sustainable operating procedures

The fact that the research and projects have application outside the university walls is a testament to the commitment of the students to doing useful and high quality work, Nelson said.

“In many ways, this symposium is a celebration and the culmination of supreme achievement and sustained intellectual focus by Barrett students. It is one of the greatest days of the year at the honors college,” said Mark Jacobs, dean of Barrett, the Honors College.