This year’s UMBC Summer Undergraduate Research Fest or SURF, which was hosted by the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences from August 5 to 14, 2020, was a virtual success!   According to Google Analytics accessed on August 19, the Virtual SURF 2020 site enjoyed 460 unique visitors who participated in 783 sessions and viewed 2,056 pages.  In addition to the 443 people from United States, visitors were located in the following nine countries:  India (6), Brazil (2), United Kingdom (2), South Korea (2), Bangladesh (1), China (1), Germany (1), Spain (1), and Nigeria (1).

This was the twenty-third year for this event and represented the first time that the VoiceThread platform was used by CNMS for asynchronous, student-narrated poster and slide presentations. We thank the faculty, staff, students, and guests for embracing this easy-to-use technology and allowing the CNMS annual tradition of showcasing student summer research projects to continue despite the COVID-related campus closure.  With its asynchronous, 24/7 availability, the Virtual SURF 2020 has provided many opportunities for visitors to enjoy the presentations and to leave written or recorded comments and questions. The site will remain available to visitors for viewing through mid-September and students have the opportunity to write or record their responses to comments and questions, extending this truly interactive experience.

Select each image below to launch one aspect of the
Virtual SURF 2020 experience.