The Rossin College's David and Lorraine Freed Undergraduate Research Symposium, held each spring, showcases the intense academic capabilities of today’s rising Lehigh Engineers, and highlights the resources and opportunities Lehigh provides to undergraduates.
The annual event offers undergraduate researchers an opportunity to present their work from a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines. Students also use the event as a training opportunity by making a formal presentation before a panel of judges, and engaging in conversations with symposium visitors, faculty, students and staff.
The top finishers, judged by a panel of academic and industry researchers, win travel stipends to attend professional conferences for yet another opportunity to promote their work and practice the art of communication.
Developed in 2005 by materials science professors Himanshu Jain and Wojciech Misiolek and endowed by alumnus and Lehigh Trustee Andrew Freed '83 in honor of his parents, the symposium encourages Lehigh students to enrich their learning experience through research.
"Conducting research as an undergraduate pushes students beyond the classroom," said Misiolek. "Hands-on research with post-docs and professors can help students decide if they want to do research or not, both being valuable lessons. It pushes students to explore beyond the textbook."