Kean Research Days Highlight Research, Learning and Creative Work
Nearly 1,300 Kean University students will present their research and creative work next week during the annual Research Days conference, highlighting academic disciplines across the University.
This year’s Research Days, which will run from Monday, April 21 to Wednesday, April 23, is the first since Kean was officially designated an R2 research university for its research and doctoral activity under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
“The level of participation in Research Days is a reflection of the University’s strong commitment to research, innovation and hands-on learning. It shows Kean is fostering a vibrant academic environment where students are encouraged to explore, ask questions and contribute original ideas across disciplines,” said Kean Vice President for Research Susannah Porterfield, Ed.D. “The R2 designation has reignited excitement about doing research – especially among our students. Kean faculty aren’t just teaching students, they are cultivating scholars and future leaders.”
The conference will include a heightened focus on the creative and performing arts, design and architecture, with a dramatic performance, panel presentations on arts topics, visual art presentations, screening of short films by Kean students and a “Creative Scholarship Showcase” presented by students and faculty.
Kean Director of Student Research and Innovation Reenat Munshi said participating in Research Days boosts students’ confidence and communication skills. Research topics range from computer science to psychology, and from business disciplines to interior design. Presentations will take place at Kean’s main campus in Union and Kean Ocean in Toms River.
“Research plays a pivotal role in the academic journey of a student, helping them develop valuable skills that make them competitive in the job market and graduate school admission,” Munshi said.
Research Days kicks off on Monday with the Shark Tank-style Cougar Investigator Research Challenge, a competition where student teams pitch ideas and vie for $10,000 seed money.
On both Tuesday and Wednesday, an array of events, including in-person panel discussions, performance showcases, in-presentations of research posters and pre-recorded oral presentations, display student work. The online program, including research awards, oral presentations and student projects, will go live Tuesday and Wednesday.
Elizabeth Hyde, Ph.D., acting associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts, said the increased focus on creative work in the arts, humanities and social sciences “raises awareness that creative work is scholarship, that creative work is research.”
“In recognition of the fact that this work is best showcased in formats beyond the traditional research poster, we are creating the opportunity to exhibit and present creative scholarship in ways more aligned with the medium of scholarly communication in these fields. It is therefore more professionally valuable to the students,” she said.
Rose Gonnella, associate dean of Kean’s Michael Graves College, said Research Days gives students “recognition that their creative work matters.”
“Students gain the experience of presenting their creative work to a broader audience, beyond peers and faculty,” she said. “Hearing responses from those beyond their own subject area could potentially broaden the way they think about their work.”
Shion Mabuchi, an international student from Tokyo, is a sophomore majoring in marketing. He is presenting his research project, The Impact of Waiting in Line on Consumer Satisfaction: Focused on Drive-through and Online Shopping.
He said the research process helped him acquire knowledge and skills in analyzing data, making hypotheses, enhancing statistical thoughts and logical processing.
“Research experience at Kean has enlightened me to see more opportunities ahead in my life and allowed me to step up to higher levels of work and study, while significantly boosting my resume,” he said.