Office of Undergraduate Studies’ Undergraduate Research ...€¦ · Office of Undergraduate...
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Office of Undergraduate Studies’ Undergraduate Research Report Academic Year 2015-2016 Office of Undergraduate Studies In carrying out undergraduate research, a student conducts an inquiry that makes an original intellectual, creative contribution to an academic discipline. While the student receives guidance and mentorship from faculty, the research project is the student’s own work in an important sense. The student designs the inquiry and interprets what transpires along the way. Such projects thus help students to develop critical thinking, creativity, information literacy, and communication skills as well as intellectual independence, all of which represent the core of FGCU’s Quality Enhancement Plan (FGCUScholars: Think ~ Discover ~ Write). The ability and motivation to undertake such projects stems naturally from the student’s experiences in the classroom where students acquire and refine knowledge and skills needed to conduct individual inquiry. Indeed, in every program at FGCU, students encounter courses that require them to conduct their own scholarly projects as part of the regular course curriculum. FGCUScholars has ensured the integration of scholarly activities through the designation of “scholarly-enriched” and “scholarly- focused” courses, which engaged 7,701 students in 294 sections of major-specific courses across all colleges in 2015-2016. While not all universities attempt to make research part of the educational experience of every undergraduate student, at FGCU, we consider this one of the hallmarks of our undergraduate programs. The Honors Program expanded on these efforts significantly last year with the creation of two research courses created and designed for first-year students, Planet Hunters and Animal History Symposium. Each course was unique and did not have an equivalent at any other university in the United States. The courses gave students the opportunity to contribute to emerging bodies of scholarship by conducting their own original research, while engaging students with the leading edges of their respective fields. Students had opportunities to learn about and conduct original research in the fields of exoplanet exploration and animal history, respectively. These efforts produced significant results. For example, students in the Planet Hunters course presented the following poster at the American Astronomical Society in January 2016:
Transcript of Office of Undergraduate Studies’ Undergraduate Research ...€¦ · Office of Undergraduate...
OfficeofUndergraduateStudies’UndergraduateResearchReportAcademicYear2015-2016
OfficeofUndergraduateStudiesIncarryingoutundergraduateresearch,astudentconductsaninquirythatmakesanoriginalintellectual,creativecontributiontoanacademicdiscipline.Whilethestudentreceivesguidanceandmentorshipfromfaculty,theresearchprojectisthestudent’sownworkinanimportantsense.Thestudentdesignstheinquiryandinterpretswhattranspiresalongtheway.Suchprojectsthushelpstudentstodevelopcriticalthinking,creativity,informationliteracy,andcommunicationskillsaswellasintellectualindependence,allofwhichrepresentthecoreofFGCU’sQualityEnhancementPlan(FGCUScholars:Think~Discover~Write).Theabilityandmotivationtoundertakesuchprojectsstemsnaturallyfromthestudent’sexperiencesintheclassroomwherestudentsacquireandrefineknowledgeandskillsneededtoconductindividualinquiry.Indeed,ineveryprogramatFGCU,studentsencountercoursesthatrequirethemtoconducttheirownscholarlyprojectsaspartoftheregularcoursecurriculum.FGCUScholarshasensuredtheintegrationofscholarlyactivitiesthroughthedesignationof“scholarly-enriched”and“scholarly-focused”courses,whichengaged7,701studentsin294sectionsofmajor-specificcoursesacrossallcollegesin2015-2016.Whilenotalluniversitiesattempttomakeresearchpartoftheeducationalexperienceofeveryundergraduatestudent,atFGCU,weconsiderthisoneofthehallmarksofourundergraduateprograms.TheHonorsProgramexpandedontheseeffortssignificantlylastyearwiththecreationoftworesearchcoursescreatedanddesignedforfirst-yearstudents,PlanetHuntersandAnimalHistorySymposium.EachcoursewasuniqueanddidnothaveanequivalentatanyotheruniversityintheUnitedStates.Thecoursesgavestudentstheopportunitytocontributetoemergingbodiesofscholarshipbyconductingtheirownoriginalresearch,whileengagingstudentswiththeleadingedgesoftheirrespectivefields.Studentshadopportunitiestolearnaboutandconductoriginalresearchinthefieldsofexoplanetexplorationandanimalhistory,respectively.Theseeffortsproducedsignificantresults.Forexample,studentsinthePlanetHunterscoursepresentedthefollowingposterattheAmericanAstronomicalSocietyinJanuary2016:
IntheAnimalHistoryclass,studentshadtheopportunitytohostandpresentscholarlypapersattheinauguralAnimalHistorySymposiumoncampus,wheretheypresentedonarangeofthematictopicsincluding“DogHistories,”“HistoricalPerspectivesonAnimalCrueltyandWelfare,”and“TheConservation,Preservation,andScienceofAnimals.”
ParticipantsintheAnimalHistorySymposium2016(fromlefttoright–FrontRow:EmilyRobinson,VictoriaBlaine,AbigailEischen,AsmaSaheed,LindsayHooper;BackRow:ClayMotley,AvianaHerrera,BlakeJacoby,HalHerzog,SethTanenhaus,ChelseaTorres,KatherineKearney,NicolaFoote:photocredit:CameronLetch)Giventhevalueofthesescholarlyexperiences,studentshadtheopportunitytoextendtheseresearchexperiencesbeyondtheclassroom.Insteadofjustgleaningknowledgefromatextorlecture,undergraduateresearchersdiscovertheirmajorbyapplyingcourseprinciplesandconceptstonovelsituations.Indoingso,studentsconductinquiriesthatmakeintellectual,creativecontributionstotheiracademicdisciplines.Whilestudentstypicallyreceiveguidanceandmentorshipfromfaculty,theresearchprojectisthestudent’sownworkinanimportantsense.Studentsdesigntheinvestigationandinterpretwhattranspiresalongtheway.Inthisway,studentscholarshipbridgesthecoregoalsofFGCUsothatstudent-scholarslearnabouttheirdisciplineswhileworkingtocontributeuniqueinsightstothefield.TheOfficeofUndergraduateStudies(UGS),primarilythroughtheHonorsProgramandOfficeofUndergraduateScholarship,providedmultipleopportunitiesforstudentsacrosscampustodevelopanddisseminateresearchprojectsbeyondtheclassroom.IncollaborationwiththeOfficeofResearchandGraduateStudies(ORGS),UndergraduateStudentScholarshipSupportAwards(USSSA)mini-grantswereawardedtopromotestudent-facultyresearchpartnerships.In2015-16,78studentsreceivedfundstopurchasesuppliesand/orpresentresultsoftheirresearchfindingsatregional,national,orinternationalconferences.Sampleprojectsrepresentingeachacademicunitincludedthefollowing:
• ArtsandScienceso VisualandPerformingArts:HistoricOrientedPerformanceResearchontheBaroque
ViolinSoloPerformance
o Humanities:TheIrrelevanceofReality:ConstructingaQueerNewWorldwithRadicalOppositionality
o SocialSciences:TheInfluenceofDiversityinStateSupremeCourtDecision-Makingo STEM:Anti-cancerEffectsofStilbeneAnaloguesinTriple-NegativeBreastCancerCell
Lines• Business:DoNon-CitizensImpacttheOutcomeofU.S.Elections?A20-yearAnalysisof
CongressionalElections• Education:DoChangesinScholarshipEligibilityRequirementsaffectCollegeEnrollmentStatus?
EvidencefromtheBrightFuturesScholarshipProgram• Engineering:RemoteControlofaHigh-VoltagePowerSourceforElectrosprayDeposition• HealthProfessionsandSocialWork:TobaccoCessationCounselingbyAthleticTrainers:An
Evidence-BasedApproachtoHealthPromotionandWellnessTheseeffortswereenhancedthroughtheHonor’sProgramProfessionalDevelopmentGrant,whichsupportedanadditional13studentswhopursuedopportunitiessuchasconductingresearchinHawaiiandpresentingtheirresearchinItaly.Thiswasalsothefirstyearthattheuniversitysentacontingentof8studentsand2faculty-mentorstotheNationalConferenceonUndergraduateResearch(NCUR),thepremierstudentsymposiumatwhichover4,000undergraduatescholarsfromaroundthecountrysharetheirresearchfindings.Together,theseeffortsrepresenteda184%increaseinthenumberofstudentssupportedthroughtheOfficeofUndergraduateStudies(32studentsweresupportedbetween2014-2015&91studentsweresupportin2015-2016).Theuniversityhostedmultipleeventsthatallowedstudentstosharetheirresearchprojectsinscholarlyvenuesbeyondtheclassroom.Forexample,UGScollaboratedtohostandhelpsponsor12differentresearchsymposiain2015-2016,suchasthepreviouslymentionedAnimalHistorySymposiumandtheannualFGCUResearchDay.Thesesymposia,supportedbyUGSinonemanneroranother,includedthefollowing(withtheorganizingunitinparentheses):
1. HumanitiesStudentSymposium(CAS&UGS)2. FallSeniorArtProjectExhibition(CAS)3. STEMUndergraduateResearchandInternshipSymposium(CAS&UGS)4. EagleBizAwards:MarketingandEngineeringStudentResearch(LCOB)5. PhilosophyandCommunicationSymposium(CAS&UGS)6. Community-EngagedScholarshipSymposium(UGS)7. SocialScienceSymposium(CAS)8. AnimalHistorySymposium(CAS&UGS)9. FGCUResearchDay(ORGS)10. WritingAwardsCelebration(UGS)11. SpringSeniorArtProjectExhibition(CAS)12. LifeScienceStudentSymposium(CAS&UGS)
Includingnumerousinauguraleffortsfromprogramsthatdidnotfitintoothersymposiaincreasedthenumberofwaysthatstudentscouldsharetheresultsoftheirwork.Forexample,studentsandfacultyfromPhilosophy,English,Communication,andHistorysponsoredthefirstHumanitiesSymposium.Thiseventenabled7studentstoreadpapers,expandingthenumberofwaysthatstudentscoulddisseminatetheirresearchsincemoststudentsymposiafavorpostersessionsoveroralpresentations.Inaddition,theFGCUWritingCenterorganizedthefirstWritingAwards.Thisuniversity-widecompetitioncelebratedthedifferentgenresofundergraduatewritingwhileprovidingstudentswithprofessional
developmentopportunitiestobuildtheirrésumésandCVs.TenawardswereofferedintheareasofFiction,Nonfiction,CreativeNonfiction,Composition,Service-LearningReflection,Literary/ArtAnalysis,QualitativeResearch,QuantitativeResearch,MostImproved,andSustainability.Over100submissionswerereceived,andwinnerswerecelebratedattheendofthespringsemesterduringanawardsreception.Undergraduatestudentsalsohadtheopportunitytopublishtheirworkinoneoftwoscholarlyjournals,MangroveReview(whichdisseminatescreativescholarlyworks)andAquila:TheFGCUStudentResearchJournal(whichpublisheshumanities,sciences,professional,andcommunity-basedscholarlyarticles).ThiswasthefirstyearthatAquilawaspublishedbothonlineandinprint,creatingaphysicalrecordofstudentwork.Writtenarticlesrepresentedabroadrangeofinterests,includingthefollowing:
• BiasesTrumpEvidenceinBeliefsAboutAnimalWelfare• ComparativeGaitRehabilitationwithVirtualRealityHeadset
Importantly,studentsproducethecontentandshareresponsibilityforthepublicationofeachjournalwithfacultyadvisors.SeeAppendixAforthetableofcontentsforeachjournal.ThesupportofundergraduateresearchthroughouttheOfficeofUndergraduateStudiesiscriticaltothecontinuedandenhancedsuccessesofFGCUstudents.Forexample,theuniversitycelebrateditsfirsttwoFulbrightScholarsin2015-16:LoriBoegershausenandEmilioFeijoo.Inbothcases,thesestudentsparticipatedinsignificantscholarlyprojects,whichprovidedthemwiththenecessaryexpertisetosecurethismostprestigiousaward.In2015-2016,Boegershausenpreparedandpresented“ResistingPersecution:ACaseStudyonFatherLichtenburg”attheHistoryHonorsResearchSymposiuminPhiladelphia,whileFeijoodelivered“TheRhetoricofCatachresisandPostcolonialThought”attheWhatisPostcolonialThought?ConferenceinFort-de-France,Martinique.ExamplessuchasFGCUScholars(FGCU’sQEP)andtheindividualaccomplishmentsofstudentssuchasBoegershausenandFeijoodemonstratethatthescholarlyactivityofundergraduatestudentsisembeddedintotheveryfabricofFGCU.Student-scholarslearnabouttheirdisciplinesinwaysthattakeexperiencesbeyondtheclassroom.Theseopportunitiesensurethatstudentscanreachtheirfullpotential–andyes,maybeproduceaFulbrightortwo.
AppendixAAquila:TheFGCUStudentResearchJournal
Volume2Articles
• JessicaBaker,BiasesTrumpEvidenceinBeliefsAboutAnimalWelfare• Mary-CecileGayoso,AssassinsDoNotWearBattleBikinis:TheCaseAgainstGenderInequality
andFemaleSpecificHypersexualizationinVideoGames• AlexanderSell,TheFunctionandEfficacyofCivilDisobedience• NoahAnderson,RiseofPapalAdministration:ApostolicAuthorityintheContextofCrusading• SusanRojas,Malory’sGawain:CharacterizingFragmentationandUnification• MarshallNathanson,DroppingAcid:GlobalWarming’sEquallyEvilTwinOceanAcidificationin
EsteroBay,FloridaShortCommunications
• GabriellaGiliberti,ArditDervishaj,RishabhRawal,ChristianBokrand,JosephSimmons,Ph.D.,JosephCuiffi,Ph.D.,Improvingane-Bike:Ridingwith“Christina”
• JosiahKeime,KristinLadia,JayShah,DerekLura,Ph.D.,ComparativeGaitRehabilitationwithVirtualRealityHeadset
MangroveReview
Volume13
• ShannonRiley,FinePersianRug• ShannonRiley,FragmentsofMyMind• KateMoran,JeanJacketsandMarlboroReds• KateMoran,NightsintheKoiPond• KateMoran,Americana• KaylaByrn,Sir• KaylaByrn,ThemesofSuspendedHysteria• CaitlinRosolen,Cold-BloodedButNotCold-Hearted• CaitlinRosolen,ModernDayDinosaur• CaitlinRosolen,VGEOne
