It almost didn't happen. But due to the efforts of faculty and support staff, the 17th Annual Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS) was held on April 25.
This is the sixth year for the joint effort with both CU Denver and CU Anschutz. RaCAS previously had been a CU Denver event. Its focus: a range of student work -- graduate and undergraduate.
Altogether this year, 180 student participants, in teams and as individuals, prepared and presented the results of their academic endeavors during RaCAS in the Trivisible Room, Research 2, on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Topics touched on explorations in the sciences including chemistry, biology, engineering, medicine, even several presentations on the effects of cocaine, and cannabinoids. There also were presentations dealing with social sciences, sustainability and the arts.
Among the presenters were 21 of the 27 winners from last year's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).
One of the UROP winners at RaCAS was College of Nursing senior Lenka Hellerova. Her presentation focused on the work she had completed with mentor Scott Harpin, PhD, MPH, PHCNS-BC. The UROP award funded Hellerova's research during the past academic year.
Hellerova's focus is to understand the health utilization of runaway/homeless youth at Urban Peak in Denver. She conducted seven focus groups with homeless youth to explore the barriers to using primary care services and how youth learned about healthcare in childhood. She also presented findings at 2014's Western Institute of Nursing Research conference in April in Seattle.
During previous RaCAS events, a panel of judges had reviewed the presentations and awarded prizes. The prize component was dropped this year.
108 total posters:
- 60 Undergraduate posters
- 38 Graduate posters
- 10 High school
180 total participants (with teams)
- One undergrad from CU Anschutz
- Three graduates from CU Anschutz