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Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Category: Research

Posts that relate to undergraduate research as well as UAA programs that lead research.

UW undergrad presents her research to senators in the “other Washington”

Written by Jasmine Graham
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Jasmine Graham (bioengineering, ’18) represented the UW and state of Washington at this year’s Posters on the Hill.听 Joining 46 other undergraduate researchers from around the country, Graham, along with her peers, presented their research to congress and advocated for continued funding of undergraduate research. Jasmine takes us through her preparation and whirlwind two days in the nation’s capital.

 

Jasmine Graham presents her research to congress members at Posters on the Hill.

Getting ready to present my research to congress

Jasmine Graham discusses the importance of undergraduate research with Senator Maria Cantwell.

February-April: I鈥檓 accepted to 鈥� a conference in Washington D.C. hosted by the (CUR) 鈥� where I鈥檒l be the sole representative from the 乱伦社区 and Washington state. Delighted, I tell my mentors and parents about this amazing opportunity and register for the conference. With the help of a travel agent, I book my UW-sponsored flights and hotel.

The conference鈥檚 purpose is to show that undergraduate research is important and should continue to be funded. I tune in to CUR鈥檚 advocacy webinar to learn how to discuss the impact of undergraduate research with congress members and their staff. I plan my elevator pitch to include a mention of the NSF funding I received for my capstone and the ways research helped me define and pursue my career goals. I practice my poster and pitch for with mentor, who helps me to frame my research developing a dental acidity indicator. The conference鈥檚 attendees include government staff from a variety of non-science backgrounds, so I take out technical jargon. To establish common ground between my research and their dental experiences, I will discuss how my research aims to help prevent cavities by identifying at-risk teeth earlier and allowing targeted preventive treatment.

Arriving in Washington D.C.

April 17: I arrive in Washington D.C. at 7 a.m. and check into my hotel early to take a nap. At the CUR office, I meet the other student presenters and connect with Amber, a presenter from Mississippi. As we walk through the National Museum of American History, we chat about our shared goals of pursuing graduate school and becoming leaders in our field. We agree it鈥檚 inspiring to be at a conference with so many like-minded young scientists. After more sight-seeing, the evening formally wraps up with an orientation dinner at the American Chemical Society, who is a sponsor of Posters on the Hill. After appreciating the lit-up monuments on the National Mall, I head to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow鈥檚 meetings.

Meeting Washington鈥檚 state senators

Jasmine Graham shared her research with Senator Patty Murray.

April 18: My morning starts with coffee 鈥� and senators! Both Senators and hold weekly coffees with their constituents 鈥� a.k.a. voters. To sign up, you just need to email the senators鈥� offices in advance. The coffees are informal discussions in which the senator and their staff chat with each visitor, answer questions and give updates on Senate debates.

Senator Patty Murray is a ranking member of the education committee and wrote the Higher Education Act, which sets standards for the accessibility, affordability and accountability of colleges. Several faculty members from Washington colleges are at Senator Murray鈥檚 coffee to advocate for undergraduate research funding. I jump into the discussion to share how undergraduate research helped make me competitive for grad school and solidified my career goals. The faculty agree and add that their students also learn skills not taught in classrooms, prepare for their careers and build support networks through research. Senator Murray comments that it鈥檚 great to hear about students benefiting from undergraduate research, and these stories will give her fuel for when she supports research funding. Senator Cantwell鈥檚 coffee proceeds similarly, with the senator responding to people鈥檚 concerns in a lively and insightful manner.

Getting the V.I.P. treatment

April 18: One perk of visiting your senator鈥檚 office is touring the U.S. Capitol with an intern, which includes riding an underground train to the Capitol building, giving you a behind-the-scenes peek of capitol history. Another perk is a Senate Gallery ticket, where I watch the senators popping into the chamber to vote for the NASA administrator nominee. I get a sense of the incredible amount of American history in the past and in the making.

I am paired with the UW鈥檚 Federal Relations Associate McKinzie Strait, who’s based in Washington D.C. Before this conference, I didn鈥檛 know that the UW has full-time staff in D.C., and am thankful that we do. McKinzie helped schedule all the day鈥檚 meetings, accompanies me to my one-on-one talks with US representatives鈥� staff, and easily navigates our way through the maze of representatives鈥� offices. I reiterate the importance of funding undergraduate research to Rep. Rick Larsen鈥檚 legislative assistant and Rep. Pramila Jayapal鈥檚 congressional fellow. I especially connect with Rep. Pramila Jayapal鈥檚 congressional fellow over our research experiences. Her additional roles as a research mentor and STEM outreach leader are special to me, since I want to take on the same roles in my career.

Advocating to congress for undergraduate research

April 18: It is finally time to see all 47 students and their posters at the evening CUR reception. Though I don鈥檛 get any technical questions from the congressional and funding agency staff attending, I do appreciate the enthusiasm they show about my research after I share my poster鈥檚 story with them. With a variety of compelling projects in areas from biotech to the social sciences, the poster session fosters continued support on Capitol Hill for undergraduate research. Undergraduate research has been such an impactful part of my time at UW, and I鈥檓 proud to advocate for future undergraduates to have similar experiences.

April 19: I catch my flights back to Seattle and get right back into classes and lab work. The photos taken at the senators鈥� constituent coffees arrive by email, and I send thank you notes to the congressional offices.

Jasmine Graham visits the National Museum of American History.

About Jasmine Y. Graham
An experienced undergraduate researcher, Jasmine Graham published a first-author paper on her dental research in 鈥淟asers in Dentistry鈥� earlier this year. In addition to her experience at Posters on the Hill, she has presented at conferences in San Francisco and Seattle. Her exceptional promise as a researcher has earned her a Levinson Emerging Scholars Award, a Mary Gates Research Award and a National Science Foundation award for a summer research experience for undergraduates. In addition to her lab work, Graham is an active member of the UW community, serving as a Dawg Daze leader welcoming first-year students to campus, outreach leader for the UW鈥檚 Biomedical Engineering Society and an听Undergraduate Research Leader听for the UW Undergraduate Research Program.听Next fall, she will start a Ph.D. program in bioengineering at U.C. Berkeley.

 

Learn more about Undergraduate Research at the UW.

The Undergraduate Research Program facilitates research experiences for undergraduates with UW faculty members across the disciplines. URP maintains a听listing of current UW research opportunities听and national programs.听The Undergraduate Research Program works to ensure that all UW students have access to undergraduate research opportunities by creating initiatives that expand research opportunities; providing a public forum for students to present their work; and helping听faculty integrate undergraduates into the knowledge-making process.

 

UAA鈥檚 Associate Dean Janice DeCosmo elected to president of national Council on Undergraduate Research

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
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Janice DeCosmo, associate vice provost and associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Photo: Photo by Bryan Nakata

Janice DeCosmo, associate vice provost for undergraduate research, associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and affiliate faculty member in the has been elected president of the national nonprofit听听(颁鲍搁).

A longtime proponent of undergraduate research, DeCosmo was the first director of the UW鈥檚 and has been involved in or running the Undergraduate Research Symposium since its inception in 1997. Her work has been instrumental in developing a national model in undergraduate research at the UW. In 2016-17, more than 8,400 undergraduates participated in undergraduate research. In the recent 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium, more than 1,250 students presented their work.

鈥淥ur Undergraduate Research Program 鈥� its size, breadth and excellence,” says UW President Ana Mari Cauce, “is one of the crown jewels of our Husky Experience.鈥�

鈥淢y early experiences with undergraduate research were as a graduate student,鈥� says DeCosmo, 鈥渨here myself and my peers found ourselves mentoring first-generation college students who were struggling with coursework and finding their way at a large university. As the students learned our protocols and became part of our teams, we saw them blossom and gain new confidence; their grades also improved. That experience stayed with me, and later I jumped at the chance to develop a grant-funded undergraduate research initiative.鈥�

DeCosmo says the community and network of CUR members helped bring ideas and collegial support as the UW鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program developed and matured.

For nearly two decades, DeCosmo has been an active CUR member. Her diverse volunteer experiences within CUR include service on program review and nominations vetting committees, undergraduate research programs division chair, two terms on the governing board for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and a term on CUR鈥檚 executive board. A prolific writer and presenter on undergraduate research scholarship, DeCosmo serves as issue editor for CUR鈥檚 flagship journal,听听(SPUR).

鈥淚 am humbled to be president-elect of [CUR],鈥� says DeComo, 鈥渁nd I look forward to advancing opportunity for students in all disciplines and types of institutions to have the chance to develop their creativity, critical thinking, and communications skills 鈥� so essential to their future success in work and life 鈥� through research.鈥�

DeCosmo earned a BS in physics from the University of Iowa in 1979 and a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the 乱伦社区 in 1991, specializing in atmosphere-ocean interaction. She oversees the UW鈥檚 Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity, which includes undergraduate research, service learning, leadership, and scholarship programs. She represents the UW on statewide higher education policy groups that oversee new academic programs and the transfer process for students from Washington鈥檚 two-year colleges to four-year institutions. DeCosmo was director for 10听years of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium, a NASA-funded effort to support innovative education and research initiatives across the state.

乱伦社区 Undergraduate Research Program

The facilitates research experiences for undergraduates with UW faculty members across the disciplines. Its signature event is the annual , which happens each May. This year, more than 1,250 students presented their research. The Undergraduate Research Program is an Undergraduate Academic Affairs program, housed in the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity.

 

乱伦社区

The is one of the world鈥檚 preeminent public universities. Our impact on individuals, our region and the world is profound 鈥� whether we are launching young people into a boundless future or confronting the grand challenges of our time through undaunted research and scholarship. Ranked No. 13 in the world on the听, the UW educates more than 54,000 students annually.

 

Council on Undergraduate Research

The听听supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. More than 700 institutions and nearly 13,000 individuals belong to CUR. CUR believes that the best way to capture student interest and create enthusiasm for a discipline is through research in close collaboration with faculty members.

 

This announcement draws upon and is based on .

Undergraduates to present research spanning academic disciplines on May 18, 2018

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
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On Friday, May 18, more than 1,200 乱伦社区 undergraduates and visiting undrgraduates student scholars will participate in the 21st Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium 鈥� an event that is one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

The Symposium runs from 11 a.m.鈥�6 p.m. on the UW Seattle campus. Students will present their research in poster, oral and performing arts sessions in Mary Gates Hall and Johnson Hall, and in a visual arts and design showcase in Odegaard Undergraduate Library (see event details below). UW President Ana Mari Cauce is scheduled to provide opening remarks at 11 a.m. in Mary Gates Hall.

Through undergraduate research, students contribute to groundbreaking work and gain the experience necessary to one day lead innovative research themselves. UW undergraduates are getting involved in research in increasing numbers 鈥� more than 8,400 students participated in research in 2016鈥�17.听More than 1,000 faculty, post-doc, research staff and graduate student mentors supported this year鈥檚 Symposium presenters through their research, helping students develop subject area knowledge, transferable skills and an entrepreneurial perspective that will prepare them for future employment, education and civic engagement.

Students will share their research on topics as diverse and broad as better diagnosis of pediatric concussions; improving regional climate prediction; innovations in pain management; predicting tooth decay; gratitude in relation to adolescent mental health; the complexity of the canoe in Samoan culture; forensic anthropology; and much, much more.

The titles of students鈥� presentations gives more detail about the range and complexity of their projects. A small sampling of titles include:

  • BrainNet: First Three-Person Brain-to-Brain Communication System
  • Star Formation in Low Metallicity Environments
  • Curation: A Performance
  • My Work as an Artist and Designer on the DFL鈥檚 3D Game, Hug the Line
  • Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights in Latin America

The Symposium is open to selected undergraduates from other institutions, and we are thrilled to welcome presenters from听22 other institutions in addition to听, the Seattle Colleges, Montana State University, Washington State University and the University of Victoria听(complete list below).

The Symposium is organized by Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥櫶�Undergraduate Research Program.

Event Details

What: The 21st Annual Research Symposium at the 乱伦社区

Who: More than 1,200 inspiring undergraduates at UW presenting ground-breaking research and selected undergraduates from other institutions

When: Friday, May 18, 2018, 11:00 a.m.颅鈥�6:00 p.m.

Where: Mary Gates Hall, select rooms in Johnson Hall, and Odegaard Undergraduate Library
Plan ahead: See event schedule and search the Online Proceedings at听

Institutions Represented

  • Bellevue College
  • Boise State University
  • California State University San Marcos
  • College of St. Scholastica
  • Edmonds Community College
  • Everett Community College
  • Grays Harbor College
  • Heritage University
  • North Seattle College
  • Pacific Lutheran University
  • Pierce College
  • Portland State University
  • Shoreline Community College
  • Seattle Pacific University
  • South Seattle College
  • Seattle Central College
  • University of Nevada Las Vegas
  • Wenatchee Valley College
  • Western Washington University
  • University of Puget Sound
  • University of Wyoming
  • Whitman College

 

Photos by David Ryder.

Three UW undergrads earn competitive Goldwater scholarships

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The Goldwater Foundation honored four 乱伦社区 students this year. Selected from 1,280 nominees from across the country, Nelson Lui, Kimberly Ruth and Tyler Valentine were named Goldwater Scholars. Andrew Luo earned an honorable mention.

Goldwater Scholarships are granted to sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise and plan to pursue research careers in math, engineering or the natural sciences.听 .

 

Nelson Liu, scholarship recipient

Major: Computer Science; Statistics; Linguistics
Expected graduation: 2019

Andrew Luo, honorable mention

Major: Computer Science; Bioengineering
Expected graduation: 2019

Kimberly Ruth, scholarship recipient

Major: Computer Engineering; Mathematics
Expected graduation: 2020

Tyler Valentine, scholarship recipient

Major: Earth and Space Sciences
Expected graduation: 2019

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW
The听Goldwater Scholarship听application process is supported by the听听(OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.

Lupita Tovar: Mapping New Worlds

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Lupita Tovar originally intended to major in business. However, the opportunity to get involved with research changed her mind. Now an astronomy major, Lupita investigates telescopes to map exoplanets (words outside our solar system). If successful, she鈥檒l pitch her ideas to NASA and the greater science community.

Celebrating 10 years of Levinson Emerging Scholars

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Helicopter and supplies in Antarctica
Levinson Emerging Scholar alumnus Jeff Bowman prepares for field work in Antarctica Photo: Jeff Bowman

 

Since 2007, the Levinson Emerging Scholars Awards have supported undergraduate researchers whose passion for science never rests. Mentored by and working alongside some of the 乱伦社区’s most accomplished researchers and teachers, these students participate in the invigorating work of advancing knowledge to solve some of society’s most intractable problems. Meet this remarkable group of young scientists.

Cathy Beyer reflects on her career at UW

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After 30 years of working at the 乱伦社区, Catharine Beyer retired. During that time, she spent 17 years working in the Office of Educational Assessment and three in the Interdisciplinary Writing Program. We chatted with her to learn more about her time at the UW.

What drew you to the UW?
At 37, we moved to Seattle with our two kids so my husband could start a Ph.D. in applied math, his long-held dream. I had taught college writing courses and worked as an editor for an engineering consulting firm, so, I applied for a lecturer position in the UW鈥檚 (IWP). The last thing I was told in my interview for the job was, 鈥淢icrosoft is hiring technical writers; you might check over there.鈥� This was 1984. Had I checked with Microsoft, I might be a millionaire today, but I got the job in the IWP and took it.

In your 30-year career at the UW, what work have you done that you believe is the most important to others?
Institutionally and nationally, my big assessment projects 鈥� the and the , both of which resulted in books co-authored by beloved colleagues 鈥� would probably be considered my most important work. I loved that work, don鈥檛 get me wrong, but I think my teaching work might be more important over time. Not only did I have the honor of helping 13-years worth of students become better writers and thinkers, but I learned a ton about what undergraduates and faculty members experience that I then could carry into my later assessment work.

What have you found through your work that has most inspired you?
Our students are always inspiring. They are amazingly bright, interested in and knowledgeable about such diverse things. Sometimes they are shockingly brave 鈥� recovering from failure and loss or navigating an environment that feels unwelcoming, for example. They come to us from great pinnacles of success, but they have to start over here, and what counts for success is often very different from what mattered before. They come here hoping to be challenged and to grow. We owe them an experience that does that for each one of them.

What advice do you have for students, faculty and staff about the value of teaching and learning?
Because learning is complex, the ways we assess it must also be complex. Generic tests and surveys of students鈥� experience can鈥檛 tell us much about what our students have learned in college or how to improve our work. If we want to get that kind of information, we need to talk with students about their learning. We need to get faculty involved in looking at students鈥� work over time and discussing it together, identifying the growth (or lack of it) they find there. We need to also track learning that doesn鈥檛 fall neatly within our academic boundaries but that may inform them or have value beyond them.

You鈥檝e always had a rocking chair in your office. What meaning do rocking chairs hold for you?
Rocking may well be our first memory of comfort. I have always had a rocking chair in my office at the UW and elsewhere because I want whomever is talking to me 鈥� friends, interviewees, colleagues 鈥� to feel at home, comfortable and accepted in my presence. My rocking chairs are always big, capable of accommodating every size, age, color, temperament, mood and shape.

What鈥檚 next for you?
Really, I have no idea. I鈥檝e written a letter to the mayor and the chief of police asking them what changes they are making to get rid of discriminatory policing, but beyond that I鈥檓 reading, doing a little creative writing, and researching Angry Birds 鈥� once such an amazing, creative, beautiful set of games and now in the toilet. I want to find out what happened there. Other than that, I鈥檓 hoping to have the chance to get bored.

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