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. Farley Professor 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 procedures in a brief period of time.

Research: solving ill-defined problems using ill-defined procedures in an infinite* amount of time.

Well understood consensus Terra Incognita Frontier

My own undergraduate research experience

NSF REU Program in Physics : REU Supplement ( ) or REU Site ( )

Summer undergraduate research: other fields, other funding sources

NIH-IMBRE Biology Nevada students

REU Mechanical Engineering Bob Boehm, Director recruit nationally

REU Site Microbiology Kurt Regner, Director Recruit nationally

High Pressure Science and Engineering Center Malcolm Nicol*, director *( )

NSF EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Nevada students only All fields of science, math, engineering, education (if future science & math teachers) students in academic year 30 students in summer UNLV, UNR, DRI

Summer common program Opening Ceremony Seminar series Closing poster session

Seminar series How to give a scientific talk* How to get into graduate school Careers in science Ethics 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 Program Nevada 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 facilities We 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!