By Anisha Jain, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Why do we need mentors anyway?

Learning can become onerous for anyone and often we feel its weight on our shoulders. Competitiveness in academic culture can become toxic. Having good mentors can help one to navigate the obstacles faced in academic culture. Mentors instill their passions and interests which not only can define our professional lives but impart critical and fundamental experiences in research. I owe a lot to my mentors. The ones who spend hours sitting with me and teaching. The ones who give me opportunities to make my own mistakes. The ones who believed in me even when I didn’t know what I was doing. Mentors give us access to various academic resources, mold us into professionals, and help guide us towards our goals. Continue reading →

By Brendan Hogan, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Getting started in research can be tricky. There are many details to consider. You may be wondering what kind of research you want to do, when you want to work on a project, or even who to contact in order to get started. Out of all these concerns, one of your priorities should be ensuring that you advocate for yourself while working under, or in collaboration with, a mentor.

It can be daunting to advocate for yourself when you are trying to successfully land a research position without any experience. You may want to take the first offer you are given. Once involved, you may try to avoid any conflict or differences of opinion with your mentor. Getting involved in research does not have to conflict with your ability be your own advocate. Incorporating self-advocacy into your research experience will allow you to make the most of the experience and fully realize your goals. Continue reading →

By Sarah Tsuruo, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Welcome to a week in my life, where I’ll take you behind the scenes of my research work. As a senior undergraduate researcher, I get to work more independently and you’ll see me zipping around the lab doing some pretty cool experiments on my own!

Having been involved in research since freshman year, I am currently a part of the Bolnick Lab in the EEB department where I’m working on my Honors thesis: analyzing the sex-specific immune-endocrine response in the model organism the Threespine stickleback. I’m interested in the immune response of the stickleback to parasites which triggers a fibrosis response, and its trade-offs with the endocrine pathway and sex hormones. In this lab I’m also continuing work from my SURF project, a manuscript about sexual dimorphism in lake-stream pairs with my PI and a former postdoc from the lab. Lastly, as an extension of the work from my clinical research internship at UConn Health last fall, I am finishing up a manuscript based off a pilot study and literature review I had completed with my PI, Dr. Reichenberger. Continue reading →

By Claire Fresher, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Many kinds of research occur on campus. Each research lab is different and unique. As a mechanical engineering student I have had the privilege of working in two labs that have shown me two different sides of what research can look like while also showing me overlap between the two.

Similarities:
In both labs, and probably at any lab you’ll be a part of, communication is very important. In my labs, there are weekly group meetings where all the researchers come together to share what they have been working on and to ask questions if they are stuck or need guidance. These meetings are very beneficial to see where others are at or learn about the amazing things other researchers are working on. This is a time to ask for help, which can be very important especially when starting out in research and doing tasks and using materials that you may have never seen before. There are also graduate students in both labs that are always willing and able to sit down with you and walk through the hard steps of the process since they have probably already done it before. They are a great resource to use while doing research and in the future, if you plan to go to graduate school. Continue reading →

By Oreoluwa Olowe, Peer Research Ambassador

I got started with research the second semester of freshman year. As a Mechanical Engineering major there are activities organized to allow students to get a better understanding of research or come up with ideas they wish to pursue. This was where I was introduced to my first research experience.

I decided to work on improving or developing knee braces for athletes with my fellow engineers. It was an amazing experience working with 5 other mechanical engineering students for Professor Jason Lee. I was able to develop relationship and technical skills outside of my classes. Continue reading →

By Mukund Desibhatla, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

As a Physiology & Neurobiology (PNB) major, I have always been surrounded by the expectation of joining a PNB lab. While my classmates quickly joined labs with professors within their majors, I struggled to find mentors who would be a good fit for my interests.

Feeling discouraged, I reached out to my PATH mentor, who is also a PNB major. He shared similar frustrations but ultimately joined research in the psychological sciences. Although his mentor was a faculty member outside of his major, the professor’s compassion and guidance helped my friend foster a genuine interest in the study of brain-behavior from a different lens. Continue reading →

By Ariana Rojas, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Hearing about undergraduate research can be both exciting and intimidating. You may be asking yourself: What does undergraduate research look like? Can I get involved in research? Do I have to be an upperclassman to do it? Is it too late to start?

Undergraduate research was a completely foreign topic for me. I knew it existed, but I didn’t think it was feasible for me. And, when I realized that I could start undergraduate research, I was afraid that I was too late and already missed my chance to start, as a second semester sophomore. After I transferred from the Stamford campus, I felt like I was already behind. I knew what undergraduate research was in Stamford, but I didn’t think it was attainable. When I transferred to Storrs, I felt overwhelmed by the process. I almost didn’t even apply for my first position, and REU program, because I felt that I wasn’t qualified or accomplished enough to apply. Looking back, I am so happy that I took that first leap into research and I’m hoping to share with you how you can get involved too. Continue reading →

By Lily Zhong, Peer Research Ambassador

So you’ve heard UConn is an R1 research institute with boundless opportunities to get involved in undergraduate research, but a few questions start to pile up and overwhelm you: how do I know if research is right for me, how do I know what I’m interested in, what will I be learning, what even is research? If you’re anything like me, these were all questions I asked myself as an eager incoming first-year student with no prior experience in research. While my story may not be, and most likely is not the exact same experience as the next undergraduate researcher, I’m hoping that sharing a bit about my research adventure will shed light on some of the ways research can transform your undergraduate career. Continue reading →