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!