Welcome Members of the Press!
Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley for UTRGV's 2019 Engaged Scholar Symposium, presented by the Office of Engaged Scholarship and Learning. We are thrilled to have you here!
The Engaged Scholar Symposium (ES2 or “E–S – Squared”) is the largest multidisciplinary gathering of undergraduate scholars in South Texas and was conceived to share and celebrate multidisciplinary undergraduate research, service learning projects, and creative works. This event serves as a platform to prepare students to grow as emerging professionals and agents of change. Dates are Tuesday, April 16th – Wednesday, April 17th.
To further guide you through this year's conference, we've compiled some fast facts and information for your reference. Should any questions arise, please contact us at engaged@utrgv.edu or at 956-665-3461.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: Engaged Scholar Symposium at UTRGV (two-day conference)
DATES/VENUES:
- 9 a.m. Tues., April 16, UTRGV Brownsville Campus, PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón
- 9 a.m. Wed., April 17, UTRGV Edinburg Campus, Ballroom
UTRGV’s ES2
The two-day Engaged Scholar Symposium gathers students for exchanges of ideas.
The Engaged Scholar Symposium (ES2 or “E–S – Squared”), the largest multidisciplinary gathering of undergraduate scholars in South Texas, ES&L kick off its two-day conference at the Brownsville campus on April 16, 2019. It is designed for sharing and celebrating multidisciplinary undergraduate research, service-learning projects and creative works conducted by students at UTRGV and beyond.
The conference opens at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, on the UTRGV Brownsville Campus, in the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón.
It moves to the Ballroom on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus on Wednesday, April 17, and to the UTRGV ECESS building on Friday, April 26, for an award ceremony.
The keynote address is by Dr. Steve Song Ed.D., a scholar of Educational Research who has extensive backgrounds in immigration, race, gender, and social stratification research. He will deliver the keynote on two days: 9:25 a.m. April 16th, at the Brownsville venue; and 9:25 a.m. Tuesday, April 17th, at the Edinburg venue.
During the symposium, participating students will showcase their research and other projects in the following session types: Oral Presentations (or Talks), Posters, Performances, or the Art Gallery.
- To view a more detailed description of each session type, visit www.utrgv.edu/es2/program/session-types.
- The program listing of all presentations is available online at www.utrgv.edu/program.
- And a brief summary of sessions is available at www.utrgv.edu/es2/schedule.
Undergraduate students also have the opportunity to receive recognition for their work and compete for prizes. Last year, about 100 student presenters were awarded the Distinguished Scholar Award. Two scholars were honored for their creative works projects; 35 scholars were presented with Distinguished Scholar Awards for their oral presentations, and 63 students received awards for their poster presentations.
University organizers estimate roughly 1,000 attendees for this year’s event. For 2019, the number of creative works and service learning presentations have doubled since the symposium’s inception.
High-quality photos and video content will be posted for use at www.utrgv.edu/es2/press following the event.
About the Keynote Speaker
Dr. Steve Song obtained his Doctorate of Education degree from Harvard University. His area of research includes immigration, race, gender, and social stratification. With special interests in the field of education, Dr. Song has researched immigrant student adaptations in the US, Europe, and Asia. His current research focus has been on the critical examination of power and privilege to better understand the interactions between teachers and their students, especially as it related to students of immigrant and marginalized backgrounds.
About The Office Of Engaged Scholarship & Learning
The UTRGV Office of Engaged Scholarship and Learning supports student learning experiences beyond the classroom. We focus on helping students at UTRGV integrate and enrich academic knowledge, gain professional experience, and skills through hands-on learning opportunities. Our mission is to develop, promote, and facilitate experiential learning and community engagement initiatives that advance student academic success at UTRGV. Activities include, but are not limited to, high-impact practices such as undergraduate research, creative works, service learning, and community engagement. For a listing of staff with brief biographies, visit www.utrgv.edu/engaged/about/staff. Follow and tag @engagedUTRGV on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.
MEDIA CONTACT
UTRGV Director of News and Internal Communications / 956-665-2742
Below are responses to common questions from the Director of the Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning, Dr. Pierre Lu. Dr. Lu is the Associate Dean of Student Academic Development. He oversees the office and has helped shape the vision of the institution to engage in high impact educational practices for all students.
If you'd like to arrange an interview with attendees or have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to us at the Office of Engaged Scholarship and Learning at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Q: What is the purpose of the Engaged Scholar Symposium?
A: The Engaged Scholar Symposium is the largest multidisciplinary gathering of undergraduate scholars in South Texas and its main purpose is to share and celebrate multidisciplinary undergraduate research, service-learning projects, and creative works.
Q: How does experiential learning, such as undergraduate research, service learning, and creative works,
A: Among the numerous benefits of becoming engaged in experiential learning, students who have these opportunities show better academic achievements, greater persistence to graduation, more well-developed career goals, and higher graduate school attainment. They experience deeper learning, as they bridge knowledge gained in the classroom with hands-on, real-world knowledge-integrating experiences. They also are building skills needed by employers, such as the ability to communicate with diverse individuals from multiple disciplines and community.
Q: How do you define student success?
A: Student success is a broad term, but often refers to graduating from the academic program of the student’s choice in a timely manner, as a skilled, knowledgeable career-ready individual, prepared for success in life. Aside from demonstrating a familiarity of the curricular material in their field of study, often measured by grades or board examinations, employers also want the college graduates they hire to think innovatively, make decisions, take on responsibilities, utilize effective communicative approaches across settings, and have many more career-related competencies. A successful student has more than a strong GPA; they have the capabilities to succeed beyond college.
Q: What are the goals of the Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning? What are the goals of the Engaged Scholar Symposium?
A: The Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning supports student learning experiences beyond the classroom. We focus on helping students integrate and enrich academic knowledge, gain professional experience, and skills through hands-on learning opportunities. The Engaged Scholar Symposium is to celebration and showcase of our undergraduate scholars, to provide them an opportunity to share their current work, including research, service learning, and creative projects.
Q: What other services do you offer students at UTRGV?
A: The Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning funds student research/creative works through our Engaged Scholar Award, provided on a competitive basis, three times annually. We also offer workshops and institutes to help students gain knowledge about the undergraduate research/creative work process at every step of the way, from learning how to find a faculty mentor, complete applications for funding, to publicly presenting their work. Our student ambassadors help to ensure that Service Learning courses are offered, and run smoothly. They can teach faculty members and students about our Engagement Zone platform, a useful online place that connects community partners with those wanting to engage from our campus community. We are here to support students take part in high-quality experiential learning opportunities.