Here at the U of A, undergraduates have many opportunities to participate in faculty research and to conduct their own. Through such hands-on projects, they develop vital skills for pursuing their professional goals. Research experience also makes their CVs stand out in the crowd, whether they apply to graduate schools or to leading employers.
Because undergraduates and their mentors take research seriously, it is not merely a student exercise. It produces valuable knowledge – knowledge that has an impact when shared with researchers, practitioners, and the community. This week we celebrate Undergraduate Research Week, and nearly 100 students will be presenting posters from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the Arkansas Union Ballroom. Come take a look! Then, come over to ScholarWorks@UARK and check out the U of A undergraduate research journals Inquiry and Discovery.
Inquiry, published by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), appears twice a year. The Fall 2023 issue features an article on a protein expression tag known as RUBY-RUBY and an article about the questionable activities of oil companies in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Suresh Thallapuranam, Director of the OUR and Editor of Inquiry, speaks to the value of review.
“Faculty generously devote precious time to reviewing research papers in Inquiry,” he said. “We believe that such academic rigor is one of the main reasons for the reliability and current high, world-wide visibility of the journal.”
Discovery, published annually, highlights research and creative work produced by undergraduates in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and in coordination with the U of A System Division of Agriculture. The Fall 2023 issue contains eight articles across a range of diverse disciplines, from a study of rosemary’s effect on the shelf life of ground beef to work on fostering young children’s music competence. The faculty editor, Beth Kegley, speaks to the mutual dedication of both faculty and students to undergraduate research.
“The faculty’s willingness to provide meaningful experiences and truly challenge the students is admirable,” she said. “The students’ own work ethic and maturity in submitting their manuscripts to the journal for critical review, then implementing suggestions for improvement, is evidence of their bright future. I am proud of their results!”
Thank you, faculty! Thank you, undergraduates! We hope that you will continue inquiring, discovering, and sharing what you learn with all of us.
This is a guest blog post written by Melody Herr, head of the Office of Scholarly Communications.