STORY BY LAURA KRUG
PHOTOS BY KERISA BROWN
On Wednesday evening, professors participating in the Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) met with students to network and discuss research opportunities in the Forsyth Library south study area. The Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects hosted the event to allow students from freshman level to senior connect with the many different departments that offer research positions, with no experience necessary. Students were treated to apple cider and pie while they socialized.
This was the first time an interest event for URE has been held in the fall, and it was well attended by students. Representatives from Computer Science, Art and Design, Geosciences, Technology Services, Management, Psychology, Biology, Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Agriculture were at the event. Each department has at least one research project. Student attendees were prompted to explore not only their major but also other majors as they walked into the event.
Misty Koonse of the Office of Scholarship and Sponsored projects explained that growing interest in URE led to the pURE Pie event. From 2010 to 2011, 171 FHSU students successfully completed an undergraduate research project. That number has significantly grown: from 2017 to 2018 a total number of 3,255 undergraduate research projects were completed by students.
“This year, 16 faculty were awarded URE grants. Each professor with a grant usually has 1-4 students work with them,” Koonse said. Additional faculty are conducting research with students that is funded by grants from foundations, federal and state sources.
Maureen Duffy of the Office of Scholarship and Sponsored projects, who was the organizer of the event, thinks that undergraduate students at FHSU can benefit from research in many ways.
“Undergraduate research offers a different kind of learning outside of the classroom,” Duffy said.
Research skills can be built up independently by students outside of the classroom; many students learn better by applying their skills.
“When professors give students a challenge and they can work through the project together, it builds confidence,” Duffy said.
Students are also able to travel to conferences with their research and network.
Research done by undergraduates has real-world impacts as well. Dr. Ziwei Qi, an assistant professor in the FHSU Criminal Justice department, is conducting a research project with four undergraduate students. Their goal is to document spaces in Hays that have a high risk of assault and determine what can be done to make them safer. Students use video recording equipment to compare street conditions from daylight hours to when they are dark at night. Students also investigate inside spaces such as bars in Hays for possible factors that could increase assault.
Students are able to present their work at Scholarly and Creative Activities Day or SACAD in the spring at FHSU.