Undergrad Research a Priority at College

By Susan Andrews on October 8, 2009 7:44 AM

As a creative writing major, Schaeffer Nelson ’10 did not know what a research project would look like for him and so he sought the advice of his professors before applying for a research grant.

“I decided to research religious conversion within adult life in the context of a fiction writer,” he said.

Peering into the micro world through the eyepiece of her microscope while investigating the degenerative disorder Parkinson’s disease, Tina Roosta ’09, a neuroscience and biology major, said, “I’ve seen muscles; I’ve seen nerves; I’ve seen synaptic connections — these are not elusive to me anymore.”

Tiffany Tsai ’11, a math and English major, said: “USC really encourages its students to explore different fields of interest.” Last summer, she traveled to Belize to learn about important environmental issues even though it falls outside of her field of study.

Tsai completed another field experience in archaeology, where she could “work with real objects and not just text and numbers.” She worked on the Native American Cultural Landscape Project in which a technique was developed to remove graffiti without harming the images underneath. “When the graffiti paint was removed, I saw beautiful pictographs that are still being used today for secret ceremonies.”

These student experiences are representative of hundreds of students taking advantage of three USC College research initiatives launched by dean Howard Gillman in 2007: Student Opportunities for Academic Research, Summer Undergraduate Research Fund and Problems Without Passports, which have grown significantly in only two years.

“One of my top priorities is to provide undergraduates in USC College with unique and exciting opportunities to engage in research with our amazing faculty,” Gillman said. “College is a place of inquiry and discovery where students are empowered to become scholars and problem solvers.”

Gillman explained that by taking on serious research projects, undergraduate students can deepen their understanding of issues they care about, strengthen critical thinking, learn practical skills in data collection and analysis, acquire the experience necessary to get into the best graduate and professional schools, and discover if they are a good fit for a particular field.

Much of this work is done on campus in laboratories and libraries. But Gillman’s initiatives also provide opportunities to combine original research with global experiences. This summer’s Problems Without Passports programs included Belize, Washington, D.C., Cambodia and Brazil.

Although proposals for next summer in Berlin, Catalina Island and London are still being received, a yet to be named destination for environmental studies will be added to the mix.

“The College’s research initiatives are transforming the undergraduate learning experience at USC,” said Gene Bickers, vice provost for undergraduate programs. “For example, the Problems Without Passports program challenges students to grapple with difficult issues in a global context. By focusing on problem-based learning, the program takes the notion of study abroad to an entirely new level.”

Steve Lamy, vice dean of USC College, created the Problems Without Passports program, he said, “to expose undergraduates to active learning opportunities in which they can work on problems that transcend national borders that affect all people, in all places.”

Participation in Student Opportunities for Academic Research has doubled while Summer Undergraduate Research Fund participation has grown 42 percent from 2008 to 2009. College funding for these programs is approximately $250,000 annually.

Programs are open to undergraduate College majors, which includes undeclared and undecided majors.

“As an aspiring writer, I not only got to do research that was very intellectually stimulating, but it also fed right into what I want to do,” Nelson said. “The experience is a pretty strong contender for the most academically valuable thing that I have done at USC since I have been here.”

To view videos from the programs, visit college.usc.edu/videos

TAGS: humanities, research

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