April 15, 2024
Image
Student Research and Engaged Learning
Image
There are many skills that are important for STEM and biology, and at Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK, we learn those in addition to what you cannot learn from a textbook. We learn how to effectively communicate with scientists and the general public about the science that we’re doing.
Opportunities for research outside of the classroom
At Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK, you'll not only engage in research in the classroom, but you'll also be able to pursue your area of interest in an independent project or as part of our summer collaborative research program.
Engage in summer collaborative research
No matter your area of study, you can participate in Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK’s summer collaborative research program, where you’ll work one-on-one with faculty on interlinked research projects or work in teams on a range of faculty research projects.
When you participate in summer collaborative research projects, you might:
- Examine microbial flora for potential anti-cancer drugs
- Develop policies on natural resource management
- Investigate how genetics and environment influence human development across a lifetime
- Use nanoscale materials to test methods of water quality monitoring in rural and urban communities
Pursue your passion with an independent project
You can develop and pursue your own projects with faculty support through independent studies, creative and capstone projects, honors theses, or study abroad.
Highlights of recent projects include:
- A faculty collaboration that studied the roots of mass shootings and designed programs to prevent school violence
- Co-editing and publishing the BFA in creative writing’s annual award-winning undergraduate online literary magazine, Runestone
- An examination of how movements for social change have invented communication methods that integrate journalism and performance to engage contemporary audiences
- Traveling to field stations around the world to study the effects of climate change and the solutions that local governments have created
Image
Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK provides me with the opportunity to think about things that I find interesting and then conduct research to explore them more. I love it.
Present your work locally, regionally, and nationally
From Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK events to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, you'll find many opportunities to showcase your research or creative work, further building your career skills and knowledge in your field.
Present at regional and national conferences
Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK students present their work to the Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK community, at the state level, and around the country. Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK is one of the best-represented institutions at the annual and is frequently recognized by the as one of the top institutions sending students to this conference. Many departments also support students in presenting their work at scholarly conferences throughout the academic year.
Present your work at Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK events
Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK recognizes the research and creative work students do both in their courses and independently, such as those done through a summer collaboration with faculty.
Opportunities for student research from day one
You don't have to wait until you are in graduate school to conduct research. At Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK, you can conduct research—in and out of the classroom—starting your first year.
Student collaborative research news
April 24, 2024
Pipers Win Judges’ Choice Award at the Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium
Contact information
-
Leif Hembre, professor, biology department chair, co-director of collaborative research
-
Ryan Larson, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice, co-director of collaborative research
