Student Research, Scholarship and Creativity Shine at 2nd Annual Showcase

ALBANY, N.Y.  (May 2, 2024) — Thousands of presentations, thousands of spectators, thousands of smiles and “Aha” moments — UAlbany’s second annual Showcase lit up the Uptown Campus Tuesday.

More than 2,000 students presented, including more than 1,500 undergraduates and 600 graduate students. Many presented multiple times over the course of the day, taking part in musical performances, group panels and individual poster presentations. 

“Last year, none of us knew quite what to expect from our first Showcase,” President Havidán Rodríguez said at a VIP breakfast attended by community and business leaders and area elected officials. “By the end of the day, we were all inspired by the creativity, passion and expertise on display.”

Watch the Showcase 2024 video

For its second year, the goal was not just to repeat Showcase’s success, but to increase its size and scope. Provost Carol Kim, who modeled UAlbany’s Showcase on a similar event she brought to the University of Maine during her tenure there, said the event will continue to grow in future years. 

“One of the greatest things we can impart to our students — any student, in any discipline — is guidance on how they can organize their thoughts, hone them and present them in a way that’s understandable to any audience,” Kim said. “This is an invaluable skill, not just in the classroom, but in life.”

On hand to view students’ work were other students, faculty and staff, as well as family and community members, and government and community leaders. Nearly 1,000 middle and high school students from 25 schools — from Albany to Brooklyn — spent the day on campus, taking in poster presentations, demonstrations from drones to dance, and getting guided tours of the University. 

“Events like this are more than just bragging about how talented our students are although they are very talented,” President Rodríguez said. “But community engagement and publicly engaged research is a hallmark of what makes UAlbany distinctive and successful. UAlbany is defining what it means to be a public university conducting research that benefits the public good.”