Gov. Terry Branstad will honor 24 ISU students Wednesday at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Each student is being recognized for their individual or group research project.

The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Capitol rotunda. The governor, along with many of Iowa’s legislators, will be able to converse with each student or group about their research project and its significant purpose. Students from the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa also will be recognized.

This honor was not given to just anyone.

“As far as I know, there are 20 projects per school,” said Sawyer Baker, senior in political science. “There was a selection process, there was an application and you sent in the abstract of your work. Then they look over it and select their top 20.”

For many, these projects have taken anywhere from months to an entire year to prepare.

Baker has worked on her project, “Recent Leadership Trends in the Iowa General Assembly: A Gendered Analysis,” for three months.

Matt Kirby, senior in construction engineering, has been working on his project, “Use of Recycled Asphalt Shingles in Asphalt Pavements,” since January 2011. Both Baker and Kirby are excited at the prospect of explaining their research to others.

“I’m very much looking forward to it,” Baker said. “Since it will be at the Capitol and my research is based on what goes on inside the Capitol, I hope to cross paths with some of the women studied in my research.”

“I’m honored to present the research,” Kirby said. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to go there and speak to them.”

Both Baker and Kirby plan to submit their research to other conferences and events pertaining to their major. This is the seventh annual “Research at the Capitol” event. For more information on how to submit a research project for next year’s event, contact the Honors department in the Jischke Honors Building.