By Erik Choi, Peer Research Ambassador
As with many things, the key to becoming a better researcher is practice. Reading more peer-reviewed publications, repeatedly attempting a difficult technique in the lab, scouring through Stack Exchange; these are all effective ways to hone your skills, but it can feel repetitive at times. Constantly being surrounded by the same area of research can feel exhausting and mundane.
One of the best ways to become a better researcher is to pause your own work and hear from other researchers. Learning from other researchers provides a valuable opportunity to learn about relevant topics and techniques from experts in their field. Research in fields of study adjacent to or outside of your field of study has the added benefit of contextualizing your work, showing how your research is interconnected with other areas of research.
For students who are looking for research opportunities, this can be a fantastic foray into research. Presentations and events often gather faculty and graduate students with a variety of research interests and provide a conducive environment for networking.
Here are some of the opportunities available at UConn to all undergraduates.
Frontiers in Undergraduate Research
Frontiers is a biannual exhibition of undergraduate student research from a multitude of disciplines. It is an exceptional opportunity to talk to other undergraduates about their research. Frontiers is also a great opportunity to learn about research grants, as many students presenting are recipients of grants offered by the university.
Frontiers will be held in-person on October 19 from 5–7 pm in the Wilbur Cross North Reading Room. More information can be found at https://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/fallfrontiers2022/.
Departmental Seminars
Many departments across UConn host researchers from other institutions over the course of the academic year. For example, the Economics department hosts a Labor, Development, and Health seminar series on Tuesday afternoons. The Physiology and Neurobiology department hosts seminars every Wednesday afternoon. At seminars, lecturers present their research and recent publications while also entertaining questions from audience members.
Attending seminars is a great opportunity for students to engage with contemporary research topics while gaining experience in critical thinking and asking questions. UConn faculty members attend seminars as well, providing a great networking opportunity for students interested in working with UConn faculty. If offered by a department, seminars are listed on the department website or advertised in the departmental newsletter; many are also advertised on the University Events Calendar. Some seminars will be held both in-person and virtually. All seminars will be open to undergraduates, but some may require an RSVP, so be sure to keep that in mind.
UConn Health Seminars
Similar to the departmental seminars offered at Storrs, departments at UConn Health offer weekly seminars, both virtually and in-person. For those interested in medical sciences or biological research, this is another great opportunity to learn from researchers outside of UConn. Here are some of the departments that offer seminars throughout the year:
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences
- Department of Immunology
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
- Department of Neuroscience
Interdisciplinary Seminars
UConn has many interdisciplinary organizations and institutes that focus on research across multiple academic disciplines. The Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) and the UConn Humanities Institute (UCHI) are two examples of groups that host seminars throughout the year. Here are some more:
- Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC)
- Expression, Communication, and Origins of Meaning Research (ECOM)
- Human Rights Institute (HRI)
The next time you’re stuck reading a dense research paper, can’t resolve the error in your code, or you just find a topic that interests you, try attending one of the mentioned events. It can be a great respite from your research, and you might find you can approach your research with a refreshed and more open mind afterward.
Take advantage of seminars and research events. Attending is one of the many ways you can capitalize on the research opportunities available for undergraduates at UConn. They make you not only a better researcher but also a better student and consumer of knowledge.
Erik is a senior majoring in Physiology & Neurobiology and Economics. Click here to learn more about Erik.