Undergraduate Research Stories

Binghampton University undergraduate Eliza Klos has already crafted a sturdy foundation to flourish as a physician, including getting involved in research early — even before getting into college.

Allyson Thompson has always felt at home hiking in a prairie. To her, life is better lived along a winding path. So it’s almost fitting that her path to Northern Illinois University involved several twists and turns.

USU’s English Department was well-represented at the annual Sigma Tau Delta Convention in Denver, Colorado, from March 29-April 1 with 12 undergraduate participants from four different campuses. The Sigma Tau Delta Convention is the largest organization in the country dedicated to supporting undergraduate research and professional development for English majors. About 1,000 students attend from all over the country.

It is not every day that you meet a student like Alexandra Bias.Bias is a senior at Oklahoma State University and is triple majoring in chemical engineering, mathematics and political science. Whether it be research, student government, Greek life or service, Bias exhibited her motivation to become involved as an undergraduate student. She holds the prestigious titles of Goldwater Scholar, Niblack Research Scholar and W.W. Allen Scholar.

As part of an undergraduate research project, scientists have discovered the ancestor of the yeast species necessary for the production of lager beer.

Undergraduate researchers from the University of Arizona wanted to determine the effects that differences in water flow had on reptile and amphibian species richness and abundance. Their results reveal how water shortages, which many parts of the Southwest are experiencing, can affect wildlife richness and abundance. But water restoration projects appeared to improve this particular situation, though it took some time before species abundances caught up.

Led by Purdue, Plant Science for Global Food Security is a six-week research and study program at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. The program has two components: three weeks of research evaluating diverse rice accessions under the guidance of an IRRI scientist/team, and an intensive three-week course on Rice Research to Production, which provides significant field research and field trips to some of the most beautiful locations in the country.

In the ‘Bug Lab,’ Eric Escobar-Chena gained a passion for research and a respect for insects This biology major is considering graduate school opportunities in ecology with a focus on fieldwork and beetles. by Brian McNeill; Virginia Commonwealth University

My UR Story: Meeting My Role Model Scientist: Inspiration and tenacity In Action original text by Brianna Trippe

Building a Research Footprint Kristen Barwick, junior biochemistry major, secured two national awards this summer