A Model for Building Outcomes Assessment Capacity in Major Research Universities through a Program of Undergraduate Research Christopher Quick, Texas A&M
Dec 22, 2015
A Model for Building Outcomes Assessment Capacity in Major Research Universities
through a Program of Undergraduate Research
Christopher Quick, Texas A&M
A Model for Building Outcomes Assessment Capacity in Major Research Universities
through a Program of Undergraduate Research
Christopher Quick, Texas A&M
Research Experience for Undergraduate Students:
Programs at UNLV
John W. FarleyProfessor of Physics
Director, Center for Mathematics and Science Education
Outline
What is Undergraduate Research?
Programs for Undergraduate Research at UNLV
Assessing Undergraduate Research Programs
What is undergraduate research?
Research vs. Classroom learning
Classroom learning: solving well-defined
problems using well-defined proceduresin a brief period of time.
Research: solving ill-defined problemsusing ill-defined procedures
in an infinite* amount of time.
Well understood consensus
Terra Incognita Terra Incognita
Terra Incognita Terra Incognita
Frontier
My own undergraduate
research experience
NSF REU Program in Physics1987-2008:
REU Supplement (1987-1991) or
REU Site (1992-2008)
Summer undergraduate research:
other fields, other funding
sources
NIH-IMBRE
BiologyNevada students
REU Mechanical EngineeringBob Boehm, Directorrecruit nationally
REU Site MicrobiologyKurt Regner, DirectorRecruit nationally
High Pressure Science and
Engineering Center
Malcolm Nicol*, director*(1939-2009)
NSF EPSCoR
Undergraduate Research Opportunity ProgramNevada students only
All fields of science, math, engineering, education (if future science & math teachers)
2005-2007 30 students in academic year30 students in summer
UNLV, UNR, DRI
Summer common program
Opening CeremonySeminar series
Closing poster session
Seminar series
How to give a scientific talk*How to get into graduate school
Careers in scienceEthics in science
*and how not to.
End of summer poster session
34 student participants in 2006
Lauren Besquillo (2007)
Aynsley Sutherland and MaryKay Orgill (2007)
Academic Year ProgramNevada Undergraduate
Research Symposium (NURS)
Held in April at UNR and UNLV (alternating)
Open to ALL undergraduate research in all areas
Assessment of undergraduate
research programs
Research facilitiesWe have extensive research effort,
first-rate facilities,many faculty publications in top journals.
How were the students recruited?
How many students applied?
How many were selected?
Demographics of the student attendees
Females, minorities
Geographic distribution of students
Recruited from 4-year colleges or research powerhouses?
Are the students doing meaningful research projects? Not engaged in make-work or mere data-taking?
Students should transition from dependent upon the mentor (beginning of summer) to working independently (end of summer).
Social program after hours
End of summer poster session
How many students exhibited?
How many people attended?
PR opportunity
Publications and presentations at scientific conferences with undergraduate student co-authors.
Acknowledgment of undergraduate student authors on publications.
Tracking students after graduation
Go to graduate school in science or related discipline?
Science-related employment
non-science-related employment
Nationally, students who have a research experience are three times as likely to go on to graduate school in physics as those who don’t. (Self-selected).
from a 2005 proposal
Many programs support undergraduate research, especially in summers
Much undergraduate research is already happening at UNLV.
Conclusions
Undergraduate research can be a bridge towards growth of research and graduate programs.
Grants for students are easier to get than research grants.
Faculty must adjust to run on undergraduates.
Undergraduate Research is a strategy to grow research effort
The End!