Research Poster Presentation

Author: Hank Herzfield | Major: History | Semester: Spring 2025

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Pittsburgh and present my thesis research this month with a cohort of some of the University of Arkansas’ finest undergraduate researchers. We went to Pittsburgh for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) hosted by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Our group, myself included, was mostly there to present our research in the poster presentation section of the conference, although some of our group also moderated panel discussions at the conference. We were among more than 1,500 undergraduate researchers from across the country, so it was an excellent opportunity to present our research and practice our presentations.

My history thesis is on the historical memory of the East German state security apparatus through film, a rather niche topic but one that has a great depth of available primary sources and which I was able add substantially to the existing scholarship. Throughout the conference, I learned about many other undergraduate research projects (mostly STEM research), and I was impressed by the comparative quality and depth of research my peers and myself were presenting on. Our honors college and research programs clearly set us up well for research. I have already defended my thesis and have presented it in several venues, so this was another great opportunity to round out my skills in presenting my findings and communicating a rather complicated subject to a relatively unfamiliar audience. NCUR was a stark contrast to the Southeast German Studies Workshop I presented my research at in February where I was the only undergraduate among professional German studies scholars from across the Southeast.

Aside from the conference itself, I had the incredible experience of enjoying Pittsburgh! A group of us went to a Pittsburgh Penguins game on the second day of the conference which was a hoot-and-a-half. We also explored several areas of town like downtown and “the strip” where the Pittsburgh port authority used to be housed. I saw much of the Gothic Revival architecture we discussed in my Signature Seminar Gothic with Dean Coon and Dr. Sexton, a neat finale to my school year following the course’s evolution which began when I went on a French tour of Gothic architecture during a vacation for the Olympics. The Andy Warhol Museum was enlightening, and its interactive art experiences and exhibits were profoundly enjoyable.

I’m incredibly grateful to the Honors College for making this experience possible through the travel grant I received. This opportunity allowed me not only to share my own research, but also to engage with students from across the country and explore a vibrant city I had never visited before. Presenting at NCUR gave me a chance to grow as a scholar—refining how I communicate complex research to diverse audiences—and to represent the University of Arkansas alongside peers whose work continues to inspire me. From navigating conference panels to cheering on the Penguins, this trip was awesome, and we had a great group to boot. It reminded me how far I’ve come in my undergraduate journey and how essential the Honors College’s support has been in that process. Thank you to the Honors College and the entire team in the Futures Hub for investing in my growth as a researcher and helping make moments like these possible.