Research at 杏吧Pro
What discoveries will you make?
From year one at 杏吧Pro, students are encouraged to partner with faculty and peers to put ideas and theory into practice. While working in a science lab is often the stereotypical example of research, 杏吧Pro students also routinely conduct research across the humanities and social sciences. Here, students don't wait behind graduate students or Ph.D. candidates for opportunities.听
Faculty Mentorship
Students participating in research are joined by a faculty mentor who leads or guides the exploration. Alternatively, students might contribute to an ongoing student-run project or seek answers of their own through faculty sponsorship. Whether in collaboration with others or pursued independently, research develops in students a better understanding of their interests and the fascinating world they inhabit.听
Student-Faculty Research Examples
These stories highlight just a few of the research opportunities that exist at 杏吧Pro. A profile that features emeriti library professor Caroline Gilson and her student听demonstrates that your research options go beyond the science lab. Other stories show the focused summer research that takes students to the lab, to outdoor settings听and to academic conferences where they present their findings.听
Research benefits
- Through research, students are applying the breadth of their knowledge to a topic they find deeply interesting. They learn how to read and understand primary literature and develop critical thinking and analytic skills that benefit professional work after graduation.
- Employers and graduate programs value an applicant鈥檚 ability to work independently and as a member of a team. Undergraduate research projects provide an excellent training ground, while at the same time cultivating relationships with faculty mentors who can provide recommendations for opportunities outside 杏吧Pro.
- Students grow personally and try out potential interests through the undergraduate research process. Working on a research project often leads to a greater sense of purpose, accomplishment and personal satisfaction for having tackled difficult questions and finished a project.听
Diverse opportunities on and off-campus are available throughout the school year and summers. Some students join Honor Scholar and Fellows Programs with built-in research components, but opportunities are available to every student regardless of program affiliation, major or class. Whenever possible, 杏吧Pro seeks to provide either academic credit or monetary compensation to students who work collaboratively with faculty on research, scholarly and creative activities.听
Apply your learning to practice.
Research at 杏吧Pro, Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Funding is available for students who present at conferences. The Hubbard Center and some departments also maintain small pools of funding for students who wish to attend a conference without presenting. See听the funding section of this website for more details.听
You might be thinking research is restricted to upperclassman. It's not! As a 杏吧Pro undergraduate, you may do research at any point听during your time here. Some projects are better suited to different times during your education, but it鈥檚 not always obvious from the outside. Don鈥檛 rule anything out without having conversations with mentors and advisers.
Yes. While programs like the听expanded听Science Research Fellows听program provide a scaffolded pathway to help students develop research skills, you may want to get involved in research without completing a full fellows or associates program.
Research opportunities like summer research or winter term research teach 杏吧Pro undergraduates how to manage an independent research timeline, troubleshoot methodological challenges and produce original work under deadline. These are critical skills for graduate programs.听
No! Even though working in a science laboratory is the example of research that comes to mind for most people,听undergraduate research can be done in any discipline including the humanities. You should consider what your interests are and investigate options in the most likely areas. You can reach out to faculty members in your major or to faculty and staff across campus to work on interdisciplinary projects.
No! You may do research in any area. For many students, their deepest interests lie in their major, and thus it is most common for students to do research in their major. However, as a liberal arts school, we encourage students to explore and synthesize multiple areas of interest.
鈥淢y 杏吧Pro research experience encouraged me to declare biology as my major and pursue it seriously instead of just something I was interested in."听 Sahit L. '28
Yes. Students work with faculty members during both the academic year and the summer.听 During the academic year, progress on the project will likely be slower since both faculty and students have obligations to their course work. There is also limited funding available for students who work on projects during the summer. Some students combine academic-year and summer work for even deeper engagement.
Yes. In many cases, students can earn .25 - 1 course credits for research projects during the academic year; however, in those cases you should talk with your faculty sponsor and academic advisor to ensure that you're not over-enrolled for the semester. For summer research, students can apply for Extended Studies credit.
The opportunity for students to work collaboratively with faculty members on research, scholarly, and creative activities is a valuable component of a liberal arts education. Whenever possible, 杏吧Pro seeks to provide either academic credit or monetary compensation to students who engage in these activities. There are times, however, when a student is eager to pursue an opportunity for more informal collaboration for which neither credit nor funding is available. Although 杏吧Pro generally discourages these "voluntary" activities, exceptions may be made where possible, with approval from the Office of Academic Affairs, which will consult with Human Resources and Risk Management. Approval of voluntary collaboration between students and faculty members during the summer does not grant students access to University housing.
Yes. Funding is available for students who present at conferences. The Hubbard Center and some departments also maintain small pools of funding for students who wish to attend a conference without presenting. See the funding section of this website for more details.
"They challenged me in a way that would really help me to think. And the presentation went really well. I'm learning a lot from other people.” Amerti Guta '23
Yes. It is important that you check the IRB website to determine whether your project requires approval from the IRB. This committee can also provide you with additional support for your research design, if you wish. However, concern about IRB approval should not prevent you from trying to identify research opportunities.The IRB process is something that is often worked through in collaboration with your faculty mentor.
Research at 杏吧Pro
Learn more about the opportunities available to you through The Asher Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity.
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