Faculty

• Join Us for the Fall Frontiers Research Poster Exhibition

All members of the UConn community are invited to join us for the Fall Frontiers exhibition, which will feature the projects of 31 outstanding student researchers working across the academic disciplines. A brief keynote address will be given by Michelle Williams, Associate Vice President for Research, and light refreshments will be served.

Inaugural Fall Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 5-7 pm - Wilbur Cross South Reading Room

Several student presenters have been profiled by reporters from the Daily Campus. Learn more about their projects at the links below:

  • Profile of Krisela Karaja by Kathleen McWilliams. Research Project: “Latino/Latin American Transnational Narratives of War and Violence”
  • Profile of Rob Stickels by Domenica Ghanem. Research Project: “The Role of Estrogen in the Early Male Gonad”
  • Profile of Rachel Adams by Julia Werth. Research Project: “Development of a Tissue Treatment and Sorting Protocol in the Fabrication of Transcatheter Aortic Valves”

 

• Call for Proposals: Roper Award for Research Experience (RARE)

The Roper Award for Research Experience (RARE) is a subcategory of the SHARE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience) Award. SHARE and RARE are designed especially for students in the earlier stages of their college careers, to introduce them to research in their chosen fields and to develop the skills they will need for further research projects.

Many UConn students don’t realize that The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is located on the Storrs campus. The Roper Center is one of the world’s leading archives of social science data, specializing in data from surveys of public opinion.

RARE is designed to encourage faculty and undergraduates to use the resources of the Roper Center in undergraduate research and creative projects. Students will spend 10 hours per week during the spring semester working on a project with a faculty member. Ideally, the RARE partnership will continue past the spring semester, allowing both the faculty mentor and student apprentice to continue the project, potentially leading to a more independent role for the student or a thesis project.

Funding: During the spring semester, student apprentices will receive a $1,500 stipend (paid out as an hourly wage) and faculty mentors will receive a $500 professional development stipend.

RARE Teams: RARE teams consist of a faculty mentor and a student apprentice who apply jointly for the program.  Faculty members are encouraged to recruit student apprentices to work with them on a potential RARE project, and students interested in the program may also approach faculty members to express their interest in a potential project.

Deadline: RARE Applications (both Faculty and Student applications) must be submitted by 4:00 pm on October 28, 2013. Additional program details and a link to the Faculty and Student applications are available online at http://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/rare/.

 

 

• Call for Proposals: Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience (SHARE) Awards

The Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience (SHARE) Award is a research apprenticeship program designed especially for students in the earlier stages of their college careers. A SHARE project serves as an introduction to research in a chosen field and helps students develop the skills they will need for further research projects. SHARE awardees spend 10 hours per week during the Spring semester working on a faculty project.

SHARE provides faculty members with eager assistants for their projects, allowing faculty members to focus on their own research interests while introducing future researchers to the realities of research in their discipline. Examples of SHARE apprentice duties include, but are not limited to, performing library research, assisting with experiments, coding and/or analyzing data, and conducting and/or transcribing interviews.

Funding: During the spring semester, student apprentices will receive a $1,500 stipend (paid out as an hourly wage) and faculty mentors will receive a $500 professional development stipend.

SHARE Teams: SHARE teams consist of a faculty mentor and a student apprentice who apply jointly for the program.  Faculty members are encouraged to recruit student apprentices to work with them on a potential SHARE project, and students interested in the program may also approach faculty members to express their interest in a potential project.

Deadline: SHARE Applications (both the Faculty and Student applications) must be submitted by 4:00 pm on October 28, 2013. Additional program details and a link to the Faculty and Student Applications are available online at: http://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/share/.

 

 

• OUR Hosting Inaugural Fall Frontiers Poster Exhibition

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is pleased to announce that the inaugural Fall Frontiers Poster Exhibition will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 from 5:00-7:00pm in the Wilbur Cross South Reading Room.Any undergraduate student may apply to showcase his or her research, scholarship, or creative activity.

The Fall Frontiers event provides another opportunity for UConn’s talented undergraduate researchers to share their work with the university community. Given the growth of student participation in the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition that has been held each spring for the past 16 years, the Office of Undergraduate Research is excited to provide a new option for interested students to share their work during the fall. The increasing number of students who are conducting research supported by OUR award programs such as UConn IDEA, SURF, SHARE, and RARE, marks the need for an additional venue to highlight the work of student researchers and their dedicated faculty mentors.

The brief application and instructions for applying are available on the Fall Frontiers page of the OUR website: http://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/fall-frontiers-in-undergraduate-research/. The deadline to apply for Fall Frontiers is Wednesday, October 2, 2013.

• Share Your Research Knowledge – Become a Peer Research Ambassador!

Seeking Peer Research Ambassadors

The Office of Undergraduate Research is looking for students who have engaged in undergraduate research at UConn to serve as Peer Research Ambassadors. Peer Research Ambassadors attend OUR workshops and help represent OUR at events like open houses and career fairs. It is extremely valuable for students looking to get involved in research to hear directly from other students about their experiences.  Peer Ambassadors will also act as an informal advisory board, sharing feedback with OUR administrators on how to improve outreach efforts and programming. Consider sharing your wisdom!

If you would be interested in serving as a Peer Ambassador, please complete the brief application at http://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/peer-research-ambassador-application/ at your earliest convenience. If you have additional questions about this opportunity, please contact Caroline McGuire, Interim Director of OUR, at caroline.mcguire@uconn.edu.

• Applications Open – Spring 2014 Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science /Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) is now accepting applications for its 2014 Spring Term Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program.

The SULI program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories, where selected students participate as interns appointed at participating host labs. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission.

All application materials, including recommendations, must be submitted no later than 5:00pm on Tuesday, October 1, 2013.

Please visit http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/ for additional information on the SULI program as well as eligibility requirements, host lab participation, and access to the online application system. Inquiries/questions should be directed to: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/contact/.

The SULI program is sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science’s, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) in collaboration with the DOE laboratories. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

U21 Undergraduate Research Conference in Amsterdam

During a week in July, some of the world’s best undergraduate researchers had an opportunity to get to know each other, learn more about research, and explore one of the world’s great cities.

54 undergraduates from 21 universities around the world divided their time  between exploration of Amsterdam on bicycles and sharing details of their research projects with each other and 14 accompanying faculty and staff members. Junior, Julianne Norton, and May 2013 graduate, Stefanie Walker, were selected to represent UConn as research presenters. Read more …

New Storrs Summer STEM Research Seminar Series for Undergraduates

The Office of Undergraduate Research and the McNair Scholars Program have joined forces to organize four lunchtime STEM research seminars in June and July. We are grateful to our four speakers for participating in this new summer series.

All seminars are scheduled on Wednesdays, from 12 – 1 PM, in Rowe CUE 320.

This is a brown bag style seminar series. Light refreshments will be served.

June 12
Homer Genuino
5th year PhD student
Chemistry, CLAS  / The Suib Research Group
Nanomaterials and Technologies for Lab-Scale Environmental Applications 

June 19
Professor Barrett Wells
Physics, CLAS / Condensed Matter Physics
The Lowdown on High Temperature Superconductivity  

June 26
Associate Professor Nicholas Leadbeater
Chemistry, CLAS / The Leadbeater Group
It’s Easy Being Green: Clean, Fast, Easy Approaches to Preparative Chemistry    

July 24
Dr. Sara Patterson
Post-doc fellow
Reconstructive Sciences, UCHC / Center for Regenerative Medicine & Skeletal Development
Modeling Human Genetic Cartilage Disorders Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

We intend the seminars to interest and benefit undergraduate students working at the Storrs campus as interns in TIP (Technology Incubator Program) companies or doing undergraduate STEM research with support from the SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fund) Program or McNair Scholars Program.

The seminars are open to all undergraduates working or studying on-campus this summer.

 

Margaret Lamb, PhD                                 Renée Gilberti, PhD
Director                                                        Program Coordinator
Office of Undergraduate Research        McNair Scholars Program

 

Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Awards

The Office of Undergraduate Research announces the recipients of UConn IDEA Grants in the inaugural competition conducted in Spring 2013. This is first round of the new award program, which provides funding of up to $4,000 for entrepreneurial ventures, community service, traditional research, or other creative endeavors. Proposals for the UConn IDEA Grants represented a variety of disciplines, ranging from fine arts to physics. Congratulations to the eleven undergraduates who have been offered UConn IDEA Grants!

Read about the eleven UConn IDEA Grant projects here.

Thank you to the faculty members who have agreed to supervise the UConn IDEA Grant students in their projects. Thank you as well to the faculty members and program directors who served as the initial UConn IDEA Grant Proposal Review Committee!

Office of Undergraduate Research
June 7, 2013

Job Opening: Office of Undergraduate Research, Program Coordinator (UCP V)

University of Connecticut
Office Undergraduate Research, Enrichment Programs
Program Coordinator (UCP V) (Search number 2013524)

Position Description:

The Program Coordinator of Office Undergraduate Research (OUR) contributes to University of Connecticut’s goal of providing undergraduate students with a wide range of opportunities to participate in academic enrichment activities throughout their collegiate careers. The Program Coordinator assists in all aspects of OUR operations.

The OUR is a part of the Enrichment Programs division. It is responsible for working with faculty and administrators based in all schools and colleges to promote and develop opportunities for undergraduate academic enrichment through research and creative activity; conducting open competitions for undergraduate research and creative endeavor awards; the administration of centralized funding for such activities; educating students and faculty about undergraduate research; and publicizing the accomplishments of undergraduate researchers.

The Program Coordinator will work with students, faculty, advisors, and academic administrators on undergraduate research issues. These duties include:

  1. Meet with and provide assistance to students who are interested in undergraduate research.
  2. Create, schedule, prepare materials for, and present workshops on undergraduate research and honors theses to undergraduates.
  3. Assist students in identifying opportunities for and preparing proposals and applications for internal and external research funding, including nationally competitive undergraduate research opportunities and other internships.
  4. Receive and review applications ensuring completeness and make referrals to appropriate personnel for review.
  5. Manage communications with students and advisors regarding outcomes of proposals.
  6. Maintain and enhance the OUR website to ensure accessibility, clarity, and educational value.
  7. Assist in the marketing and communication of OUR activities and funding programs to students, faculty, advisors, and other administrators.
  8. Process applications, paperwork and records. Maintain filing system.
  9. Manage workflow and contribute to quality improvement of forms and application materials.
  10. Process and maintain necessary paperwork, records, and files to support program, including fiscal records. Enhance electronic data systems, where appropriate.
  11. Work with University offices and the Foundation in the disbursement of funds to support undergraduate student research and creative endeavors.
  12. Assist in the execution of undergraduate research exhibitions and symposia (including the annual Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition), designed to share and publicize undergraduate students’ research achievements. This activity includes advertising exhibitions, securing space, event planning, processing proposals, creating programs, and managing events.
  13. Assist in all functions relating to grant programs such as the Summer Undergraduate Research Fund competition, including updating and creating language for the website, presenting at workshops , assigning reviewers, attendance at meetings and note-taking on the comments for each applicant.  Compile decision letters and work with Study Abroad to ensure compliance with University policies.
  14. Confer with and assist supervisor in the performance of program administration and activities. Assist in preparing program budgets and annual report for approval of supervisor and manage and monitor expenditures. Evaluate effectiveness of programs and recommend improvements or changes to appropriate manager.
  15. Prepare informational and promotional materials for use in outreach activities for all aspects of Office of Undergraduate Research work.
  16. Provide on-site supervision of events, oversee facilities use, provide support and assist in problem resolution.
  17. Assist with assessment efforts, assemble data, write and/or edits reports.
  18. Maintain a collection of resource materials and program information.
  19. May perform office support functions and projects, as assigned.
  20. Limited travel to relevant national conferences, regional events, and UConn regional campuses.
  21. Perform related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. Bachelors degree in an appropriate field.
  2. Three to five years’ experience  in a responsible administrative support position that demonstrates knowledge of administrative methods;
  3. Experience in conducting independent research or scholarship;
  4. Demonstrated ability to work independently and regularly exercise sound judgment in addressing program issues;
  5. Ability to efficiently multitask and prioritize workload.
  6. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
  7. Familiarity with computers as a skilled user of word processing programs and electronic data systems such as Word, Excel, Access, FileMaker and database reports.

Preferred Qualifications:

  1. Graduate degree in appropriate field, preferably in the sciences or social sciences;
  2. Familiarity with competitive grant and award programs;
  3. Experience working with faculty across disciplines;
  4. Experience in an undergraduate research office or honors program or college;
  5. Experience at a large university;
  6. Experience with Peoplesoft and other database software;
  7. Experience with data analysis, database design, and program evaluation;
  8. Experience in designing or updating web pages and social media using relevant software (e.g. Dreamweaver, WordPress, HootSuite).

 To Apply:

For full consideration upload a letter of application, a resume, and a list of 3 professional references with contact information via Husky Hire (http://www.jobs.uconn.edu/).  Include search number on all correspondence. Screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled.

The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer.