The ninth annual Multicultural Undergraduate Research Art and Leadership Symposium (MURALS) will be held on March 29, offering students the opportunity to showcase their scholarly work.
At MURALS, undergraduates present their work (creative writing, visual and performing arts, entrepreneurship, S.T.E.M., social sciences, humanities) while graduate students, staff and faculty provide feedback. Faculty serve as mentors.
This year the all-day event, which is held at the Lory Student Center, will feature MURALS alumni serving on a panel discussion and as keynote speaker. Meagan Chriswell, who graduated with a degree in biomedical sciences in 2016, will deliver the keynote at the luncheon and will participate in the panel discussion at 3 p.m.
Other panelists being sponsored by the CSU Alumni Association include Adrian Jones (social work, 2017), Colleen McCollum (biochemistry, 2016) and Selam Tewahade (health and exercise science, 2018). Allison Hughes of the Alumni Association will serve as their host for the day.
Poster session
During the morning, participants have 10 minutes to present their work in various rooms at the LSC. In the LSC Grand Ballroom, students will be on hand at a poster session from 1:30-2:45 p.m. to explain their work to visitors.
More than 90 of this year’s participants are part of MURALS First Year Scholars, a program launched in 2021 to boost the number of first-year students engaged in research and MURALS.
“From the moment I stepped into the MURALS program, I knew I had found a community that not only supported my academic ambitions, but also understood the unique obstacles I faced as a minority in the field,” said First Year Scholar Nyla Bickham.
Incoming CSU students will be present as well.
“This year, we will have graduating seniors from Thompson and Poudre School Districts who have been accepted into CSU,” said Bridgette Johnson, assistant vice president for inclusive excellence. “They will be able to see what awaits them once they arrive as first-year students, which is very exciting.”
‘I felt supported’
Past MURALS participants agreed that the experience is immensely valuable and rewarding.
“I appreciated being heard and someone taking interest in my project,” said junior Autumn Wilson. “I also appreciated that I had a space where I felt supported.”
“It helped to break out of my shell and present my work in a professional setting,” added Valentina Diaz, a junior.
“I appreciated the chance to get my foot in the door of research under a faculty advisor and get an early start on working on my research and presenting skills,” said sophomore Bianca Anderson.
Johnson, who founded MURALS nine years ago, said she is happy to see how far it has come.
“I cannot believe a seed of an idea has grown into something so impactful,” she said. “I am proud to work with such committed colleagues who are committed to student success.”
More information and the full schedule are available on the MURALS website.
