Using a format followed by professional academic conferences, the conference provided an opportunity for students to witness first-hand the complexities of life in academia as well as the challenges and rewards of presenting research among their peers.

“For more than 100 students to participate in the first annual event, I think everyone saw it as an enormous success,” said Eyadat, who mentored all 18 CBAPP students who participated in the conference. “From a faculty member’s point of view, having our students present so competently and professionally shows the fruits of our labor. It makes all of our teaching and effort worthwhile. And for the students, you could see it gave some of them such pride and confidence in their abilities.”

Presentations were divided into two separate formats: poster presentations and formal oral presentations. The oral presentations were delivered in four rooms simultaneously so that each student got the opportunity present in the full day. In line with following the professional academic template, a proceedings publication, including an abstract of every single presentation, has already been published.

The authors of 10 presentations will be selected to go on to a statewide competition in May 2006. In addition to those awards, three oral presenters received $200 awards each, and one presenter from each discipline was given a variety of “gift awards” such as flash memory cards. For CBAPP, graduate students Edward Afana and Lisa Chavez, both in the MBA program, won a gift award for their presentation, “How Technology Has Changed the Accounting Profession in Educational Institutions.”

Campus’ Graduate Studies and Research Office served as the motivators behind the conference, so as to encourage students to pursue graduate degrees following the completion of their undergraduate programs. In addition to that office, Eyadat credited other faculty and staff such as Acting Dean of Graduate Studies and Research Laura Robles, Ray Riznyk and Craig Geber of Research and Funded Projects, and administration including CBAPP Dean Jim Strong, President James E. Lyons, Sr. and Provost Allen Mori for their support and attendance.

Using this first year’s success as a springboard, Eyadat expects the number of students and presentations to balloon for next year’s event. He began work on the conference nine months ago though, which makes him want to take a few months of rest before deciding whether he’ll take on the role of conference chair again next year or hand it off to another faculty member.