It's important for undergraduates to participate in research. Presenting at the symposium helps students gain confidence they can conduct research and teach others about their research, and the best way to learn is to teach.

My favorite part of the symposium is the incredible grins on student and faculty faces. Both are excited about what their doing and they really convey a passion for knowledge.

The research team was surprised to find out more than 50 percent of four-year students were not in the proficient category and 75 percent of the two-year students were not. The proficient category does involve some of the more complex literacy tasks, but some that we would expect them to do.

The contest makes the students research and read about Dr. King and keep his message fresh in their minds. I think it helps people understand that his message is a way of life. His dream is that we live his dream every day.

One of the top recommendations I can give to students is for them to do their homework. Research the employer and find out what the company is about. The best way they are going to impress an employer is to show interest.

We're doing a lot of research now on campus. We're looking at things like how often students go into certain buildings and where the highest concentration is.