Explorations: the UC Davis Undergraduate Research Journal, volume 15 (2013) includes articles from student authors from each of the undergraduate colleges. For the first time, the cover features student art: a stunning piece of silk by design student Faizan Dar, which we feel beautifully encapsulates the interdisciplinary, creative spirit of the publication. The Preface was written by Gail Patricelli, Associate Professor of Evolution and Ecology, and winner of the 2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research.
Call for Entries: Cover Art Competition
The Undergraduate Research Center invites submsissions for a front cover image to grace the next issue of Explorations: The UC Davis Undergraduate Research Journal. The winning image will be published on the hard-copy folio’s cover and featured on the Explorations website. Images may be fine art, photography, graphic design - all submissions will be considered. They should address the question "what is exploration?" The deadline for cover art submissions is Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at 5:00. Full competition guidelines are available here.
Submission Guidelines: Research Articles
Explorations encourages submission of original research from current UC Davis undergraduates in all disciplines. Submissions for the 2014 volume are closed; the deadline for article submissions is Thursday, June 12 at 5:00 pm. Full submission guidelines and the faculty release form are available here.
2013 Editor’s note:
What constitutes an ideal college experience is an ongoing conversation – between students, colleagues, and professors, across the disciplines and across the ages. In its presentation of student research from each of the undergraduate colleges and divisions, this volume of Explorations sets the stage for just such conversations. Articles spanning history from the Trojan War to the Dirty War reveal insights through the power of interpretation and the eye of the beholder. A fashion design project inspired by the light and space of a medieval cathedral is poised for dialogue with papers on the modernist Light and Space movement, and on the portrayal of women in Gothic literature. An engineering paper incorporating hand-drawn illustrations marries design principles with the scientific method. State of the art telescopes allow us to look back in time to the birth of galaxies, while deep sea corals provide an archive of climate change. The secrets of evolution are explored in petri dishes and the behavior of squirrels. Solutions to global health issues hold promise in DNA repair, or perhaps in the microbes dwelling in the gut of a bumblebee. Our cover image couples the science of marine life with the art of fabric-making, beautifully illustrating the connections that are possible when art and science intersect.