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Ashley Acevedo, a junior majoring in biochemistry, examines plants as part of her undergraduate research project. Acevedo is mentored by Bill Folk, professor of biochemistry.
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Undergraduates Find Unlimited Research Opportunities at MU
By Shannon Burke
Instead of sunglasses and swimsuits, 120 undergraduate students
from 44 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico
spent their summers decked out in safety goggles and lab coats
as part of the University of Missouri-Columbia's Summer Research
Scholars Program.
A privilege usually reserved for graduate
students, MU's Office
of Undergraduate Research encourages undergraduates to get
involved in research projects early in their academic careers.
Programs such as the Honors
College's Discovery Fellowship Program and the Exposure to
Research for Science Students (EXPRESS) program provide research
opportunities specifically for freshmen and sophomores. Individual
schools and colleges, such as the College
of Arts and Science and the College
of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, offer their own
undergraduate research options. In addition, all MU students are
required to complete a capstone experience, so many students choose
to fulfill that requirement through mentored research projects
for credit in their junior or senior years.
“Students get hands-on opportunities
to address real-world problems, exposing them to research, knowledge,
creation and discovery,” said Linda Blockus, director of
the Office of Undergraduate Research. “That's something
they wouldn't get being a lifeguard back home.”
Blockus said undergraduate research opportunities
are invaluable for all students by helping them to clarify career
goals and develop practical skills that will help them in any
future careers. As a result, Jim Coleman, vice provost for research
at MU, has made enhancing undergraduate research opportunities
one of his top priorities since coming to MU two years ago.
“Student research demonstrates
the value of a full range of a university's intellectual pursuits,”
Coleman said. “Research experiences enhance the value of
an undergraduate education. Undergraduate researchers gain the
skills needed to prosper in the knowledge-based economy.”
The Summer Research Scholars program allows
students to participate in research projects under the mentorship
of an MU faculty member while providing other enrichment activities
such as brown-bag lunch seminars and presentations on issues related
to research, such as ethics and applying to graduate school. Students
also presented their projects at the 16th annual Summer Undergraduate
Research and Creative Achievements Forum on July 28.
Louis Jamtgaard, a junior from Columbia majoring
in nuclear medicine, participated in the Summer Research Scholars
Program. He said his experience in the program is one that will
help him in the future.
“This experience has provided
an opportunity to learn critical thinking skills and crucial scientific
techniques that will be essential for my educational advancement,”
Jamtgaard said. He worked with faculty mentor Vladislav Glinskii,
professor of biochemistry, on a project researching the changes
in major signaling pathways in tumor and endothelial cells.
During the academic year, Coleman estimates
that about 2,000 MU undergraduates benefit from being part of
some sort of research project with a faculty member, though not
all students are part of programs through the Office of Undergraduate
Research. Most undergraduate researchers receive support through
federal grants, Blockus said.
Students pursuing any major can participate
in undergraduate research, Blockus said, although a majority of
undergraduate researchers are in science-related fields. From
a project studying Anglo-Saxon poetry to a student working to
characterize the nutritional content of native Missouri grasses
for grazing cattle, students can create and execute their own
research under the guidance of faculty mentors. Students can also
engage in their mentor's research. In some cases, Blockus said,
students have co-authored papers and presented at national conferences
with their mentors.
“Undergraduates engaging in research
really are a tangible outcome of both the research and the educational
missions of MU,” Blockus said.
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Published by the Mizzou Alumni Association
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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