A new Office of Undergraduate Research that will oversee major research fellowships and provide grant information, guidance and research presentation opportunities for undergraduate students will be launched this summer.
College Dean Edward L. Ayers announced the decision to open the new office during the Harrison Award Ceremony Thursday.
An expansion of the College Fellowship Office, the new office will be made possible by a combination of funds from the Offices of the President, Provost and College of Arts and Sciences, said Nicole Hurd, director of the College Fellowship Office.
Hurd and Asst. College Dean William Wilson will manage the Office of Undergraduate Research.
It will act as an umbrella organization to provide "any student in the University that's interested in doing research a place to begin and the formal resources, guidance and mentorships to develop their projects," said Shadi Kourosh, chairwoman of the Undergraduate Research Network.
URN is a student-run organization that promotes undergraduate student research at the University.
The new office also will archive student research projects and interdisciplinary theses, said Lauren Purnell, a third-year College student and vice chairwoman of URN.
At the end of March, "the office will help organize the first-ever research symposium" and it will produce a three-times-per-year journal called Oculus featuring research of University undergraduates, Purnell said.
Wilson said he has been working together with URN, the Office of the Dean of the College, and the Arts and Sciences Council since last fall to plan for the new office. He stressed the importance of combining the long-term visions of fellowship and research applicants.
Hurd said a student advisory committee will work together with a faculty advisory committee in "an organic group effort that includes faculty, students and the administration working to better undergraduate experiences." This is "the most exciting aspect of the office," she said.
A kick-off event is scheduled for early September and will feature workshops on how to write grant proposals, develop coherent academic plans and meet with faculty mentors.
"The faculty, Provost and Senate Office all agreed that [the new office is] a worthwhile effort," Ayers said. "It connects the two defining characteristics of U.Va. - an intimate liberal art College within a major research university."
Purnell agreed that by pooling the resources within the University, the Office of Undergraduate Research not only will strengthen the school but the students as well.
"We are building a research community, initiated by students and supported by the administration," Purnell said. "The research community will make our students more competitive for the top-notch medical schools, graduate schools and competitive awards, such as the Rhodes Scholarship"
Read More
Winsome Earle-Sears talks higher education in first U.Va. event of the campaign
By Ford McCracken | 3 hours agoA Jamaican immigrant and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Earle-Sears is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia,
U.Va.'s Earth Day Eco-Fair 2025 spotlights sustainability advocacy
By Leigh Bailey | 4 hours agoStudents from Contracted Independent Organizations and University Office of Sustainability leadership programs each shared their unique perspectives about sustainability advocacy on Grounds.
Student Council votes to relocate Hereford orchard and basketball hoop
By Lauren Seeliger | 14 hours agoStudent Council passed a resolution Tuesday to relocate the orchard and basketball hoop of Hereford Residential College due to construction in the surrounding area.
