Campus Life

Texas A&M Undergraduate Research Expo To Explore Undergrad Research Options

September 10, 2018

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By Texas A&M University LAUNCH: Undergraduate Research Staff

On Wednesday, Oct. 3, LAUNCH: Undergraduate Research will hold its second annual all-day Undergraduate Research Expo in the Memorial Student Center on the campus of Texas A&M University. The event will include a two-hour resource fair, panels, workshops and networking opportunities.

In addition to highlighting undergraduate research conducted at Texas A&M, the expo will explore opportunities for faculty, administrators, staff, graduate students and undergraduate students to get involved in undergraduate research. Last year, more than 900 undergraduate students and 100 faculty participated in the event. The goal is to build on that success this year.

Morning round tables will provide students, faculty and administrators the opportunity to hear perspectives on the role of undergraduate research as a high-impact practice at a research-intensive university. Discussions will include, “Undergraduate Research at an R1: What Defines Student and Faculty Success at Texas A&M?” and “Experiences in Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers.”

In the afternoon, multiple spaces in the MSC Bethancourt Ballroom will house concurrent events for undergraduate students that include a two-hour resource fair, the Aggie Research Program’s poster presentations and three break-out sessions led by faculty, staff and graduate students. The breakout sessions will include LAUNCH: UGR’s Getting Started in Research, Aggie Research Program Informational, and Research Opportunities and Resources Informational.

The programming will culminate in a Speed Research Networking Panel, in which as many as 40 faculty and staff from various disciplines across campus will present 60-second blurbs on their research and opportunities for undergraduates. A Networking Social will follow in the Bethancourt Lobby and provide time for students and faculty to visit informally about opportunities and involvement. Volunteers for the Expo include LAUNCH Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Learning Communities’ Peer Mentors and LAUNCH staff members.

See the full schedule of programs on the event website, or visit the event Facebook page. Stay informed on Twitter, hashtag #UGRexpo18.

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Media contact: Associate Director and Full Professor Dr. Sarah M. Misemer at 979-458-0039 or ugr@tamu.edu

Undergraduate Research supports Texas A&M’s commitment to high-impact practices and learning outcomes identified in its Quality Enhancement Program by engaging students in experiences that allow them to take learning beyond the classroom as they master depth of knowledge in their fields as well as critical thinking skills. Undergraduate Research is also one of the ways that faculty, staff, and graduate students at Texas A&M can create transformational learning through discovery of new knowledge and innovative approaches to real-world challenges. The Chronicle of Higher Education dedicated a special report on Oct.8, 2017, to the topic of undergraduate research and its importance. Undergraduate research can help increase retention and diversity, boost student placement in post-baccalaureate degrees and provide a strong foundation for lifelong learning. The LAUNCH: UGR office is shining a spotlight on its resources and creating even more opportunities for students to become members of the community of scholars at this tier-one research institution.

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