The art of research

UTRGV hosted the NovaRhet first-year writing symposium, a showcase for students to present research and creative works and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue on April 21 in the University Ballroom on the Edinburg campus.

The event featured a diverse range of topics, highlighting both academic inquiry and interactive research which ran concurrently in the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus. The symposium was also held on April 24 on both campuses. 

NovaRhet emphasized the development of critical thinking and communication skills. 

Marcela Hebbard, a lecturer in the Department of Writing and Language Studies, underscored the symposium’s purpose.

 “[It] is a combination of what they do in class, and they come and share it, because research … is to be shared and to be highlighted outside the classroom,” Hebbard said. 

Student presentations spanned various fields of study.

Karis Rosales, an integrated health science freshman, presented research on service learning with her group, describing it as “experience with community service and also what we took away with that, and how we could apply that to our own lives.”

Rosales’s work involved collaborating with the Palm Valley Animal Society to promote pet adoption, bringing along Max, a dog from the shelter, for students to pet and interact with. 

Bryana Guerra, a theatre education freshman, said her group explored theater revisionism. 

“We did research on theater revisionism in modern theater, and we learned, honestly, a lot about how theater can really change a production and the good and the bad and the ugly that comes with theater revisionism,” Guerra said.

She added that when “done correctly,” it “can honestly make younger audiences really engage with the production.” 

In addition to the symposium highlighting a broad spectrum of academic research, it also included a film festival showcasing students’ digital presentations.

Guerra’s group created a film to creatively connect with their audience who were mostly college students in a humorous way.

 “So, we added a lot of our own taste into it … like memes and like awkward pauses, kind of making it more engaging to our audience,” Guerra said. 

The symposium’s organization involves a collaborative effort. 

“We are a committee of six … but, all the other instructors, they bring their students,” Hebbard said. 

She also added the importance of students’ understanding of the research process and the contribution of library resources.

 “The librarians help students,” Hebbard said “… It’s a combination of different units, but our job is … to make sure that all the pieces are there.”

She said this is the fifth year of the NovaRhet symposium and faculty members assess the students’ projects.

 “We started in 2019,” Hebbard said. “… The first year, in 2020, we received about 90 proposals. … This year, 560 students submitted a proposal.” 

She emphasized the value of research skills across disciplines.

“We try to ensure that the students understand that what we do in our own disciplines,” Hubbard said. “… They cannot separate writing and reading from research. They’re integral elements of research, any research, in any discipline.”

She shared the committee’s aspirations for the future.

 “Our committee has a lot of dreams,” Hebbard said. “… We would like to grow these … at the [University of Texas] system level … and maybe have a cross institutional collaboration where their students also present.”

She added their main goal is to seed the proper tools necessary for students at a freshman level to grow into their skills in academic research and see that there is an art to it. 

“Academic research is messy, it’s complex, but it’s beautiful,” Hebbard said.