Berea Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium (BURIS)

The Berea Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium (BURIS) is hosted every year by Division I (Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing). Participation is open to all Berea College students. In recent years we have structured the symposium with both talks and poster presentations as well as a plenary session. In 2019 we introduced a second oral presentation category for internship presentations that might not fit in the standard research presentation model. Both types of oral presentations are scheduled for 12-15 minutes with 5 minutes for questions/speaker transition. Posters may be submitted from various fields across campus (previous posters from chemistry, biology, physics, psychology, sociology, education, African American Studies, economics, industrial arts, computer science, physical education & health, and mathematics). The format for these will be a 4-foot wide by a 3-foot tall poster that will be hung after poster stands are assembled and in place on Thursday night or Friday morning. All students who pursued substantial research projects over the previous year are encouraged to present their research.

Registration for BURIS opens normally in September each year with BURIS held on the 2nd or 3rd weekend in October. Many students will also want to register for the Kentucky Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting held in November each year. Another opportunity to present research is the UK Department of Chemistry Regional Undergraduate Poster Competition.

The program for Fall 2024 will take place on Friday, October 18th. Student oral presentations starting at 2:40 PM (MAC 307, 355, 356, 357, 457, and 406) with a concurrent poster session starting at 2:30 PM until 4:30 PM in the MAC atrium (odd-numbered posters from 2:30-3:30 pm and even-numbered posters from 3:30-4:30 pm). These sessions will be followed by a 45-minute plenary talk (with 10 minutes for questions after) at 5:10 PM.

Our plenary speaker for this year’s event is Sydney Henderson from the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA in Boston, MA. Sydney will speak about her journey to Berea, her accomplishments and experiences while an undergraduate student. She will also discuss her career after Berea, from the Peace Corps to USDA.. Sydney earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art (Fibers) from Berea College in 2016. She earned her M.S. in Global Health Policy and M.A. in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA in 2022.

Sydney Henderson's Biography

Sydney is a Program Specialist in the Child Nutrition Program Branch of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Prior to joining the USDA, Sydney served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana for three years. Her service was unfortunately cut short near its conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following her return, Sydney enrolled in a dual master's program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

During her undergraduate studies at Berea College, Sydney conducted a research project under the guidance of Dr. Andrea Woodward, focusing on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. In addition to her work at the USDA, Sydney is the Board Chair of Shalom Rwanda, a newly founded NGO dedicated to co-creating capacity in rural Rwandan communities, with a particular focus on supporting survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Oral Research Presentations

Research and Internship Posters

Registration form for 2024 BURIS to be held on October 18th. The registration deadline is Friday, October 11th.

Oral presentations will be 12-15 minutes in length with normally one presenting speaker with 5 minutes between them for questions and/or speaker transition. The posters shall be printed as single pages that are 4-foot wide by 3-foot tall and may be hung on the poster stands once assembled on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. For samples of past BURIS posters, follow this link.

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