The Undergraduate Research Program is now accepting applications from undergraduate students interested in sharing their research at the 16th annual Undergraduate Research Day.
The event will take place from noon to 3:30 p.m. on April 12 in the Hamilton Center. It will accommodate more than 130 undergraduate research projects.
There are two basic models for undergraduate research. Students propose their own research project they would like to work on and carry out fieldwork, analyze data and present their work. Faculty can also recruit students to collaborate on their projects.
“Currently, we have about 90 students who applied for grants to travel, work, get supplies and hire assistants to carry out projects,” Undergraduate Research Director Seth Meisel said. “Each year, we get a number of students that conduct their projects over the summer. Those students get salaries to buy supplies and conduct their projects.”
There are currently more than 125 students working on undergraduate research projects, making it the largest Undergraduate Research Day at UW-Whitewater. Student organizations, such as the American Marketing Association and the UW-Whitewater Theater and Dance Department, also attend national conferences and present their projects.
“We also have the McNair Scholars Program, which is a national program that helps undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds prepare for graduate programs,” Meisel said.
Undergraduate research students are provided with $3,000 for the summer to research and carry out their projects. Students who conduct their projects during the academic year are provided with $1,500, Meisel said. The funds are used for travel and supplies or to hire additional assistants, he added.
The Undergraduate Research Program started a new partnership with Colorado State University. Three UW-Whitewater students will present their work in Colorado and three CSU students will present at UW-Whitewater.
“I think the new partnership with Colorado State will be good for the students,” Meisel said. “It will give them a chance to present their projects to a different audience.”