Theories behind people's eating habits and ideas on revamping hospital inventory management were just two of the nearly 100 Cornell undergraduate research topics featured at an April 18 research showcase in Duffield Hall.

The 22nd annual Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, hosted by the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board (CURB), included work of undergraduate students from a wide range of majors. Meant to promote undergraduate-level research, the event included a keynote speaker, oral presentations and posters that lined the Duffield atrium.

For some rookie researchers, the forum was a first crack at explaining their lab work to curious passers-by. For others, such as electrical and computer engineering (ECE) student Eric K. Yu '08, it was a venue to demonstrate experience and enthusiasm for a particular subject.

As friends or strangers approached Yu's poster on carbon nanotubes, the lanky junior patiently explained the difference between graphene and graphite as different forms of the element carbon, and why carbon nanotubes hold promise for a new generation of transistors. Yu works under the supervision of ECE professor Sandip Tiwari and research associate Derek Stewart.

Physics major Angie Wolfgang '09 was an oral presenter, explaining her work with micron-sized silicon particles -- called peanuts due to their shape -- to a small crowd of listeners. Several oral presentations took place simultaneously in the cubicles lining Duffield's entrance hallway.

Meanwhile, senior Richard Tamburrino, who studies molecular and cell biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, fielded questions on his poster with the irresistible phrase, "Why humans love fatty acids." With aspirations for graduate work in neuroscience, Tamburrino had conducted experiments on whether humans can discriminate between fatty acids via smell tests.

The event's keynote speaker was Joseph Yavitt, Cornell professor of natural resources. Beyond encouraging the students to continue their research -- whether simple or complex, successful or inconclusive -- Yavitt described his own work on the greenhouse gas methane.

Preceding Yavitt's talk, CURB's Marilyn Emmons Williams Award was presented to Scott Warren, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The award is given annually to a dean, administrator, faculty member or student who has "contributed significantly to promoting undergraduate research."

CURB co-president Yuri Sylvester '08 said that since the event's inception, more and more majors have been represented, increasing the event's visibility on campus.

"What we value is the networking and interaction," Sylvester said. "All the undergraduates get to see other people's research."