Alumni enews summer 2019

For one undergraduate student, it's synthesis of chiral phosphonates with a biochemist. For another, it's adolescent disclosure of peer victimization with a psychologist. For others, it's an ebook on ancient drama, or winged aphids, or cosmic ray muons.

This summer, 67 students will be working with faculty mentors on research or creative activity projects like these in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences through the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience program.

You may have been a UCARE student when you were at Nebraska. It's a great chance to gain skills, career-related experience, and connections. Students are not only paid a stipend to assist a world-class expert for 20 hours a week—they also participate in mentoring workshops, connect with undergraduates from other institutions in the Summer Research Program, and present their work at a research symposium in August.

We encourage students to open up more career opportunities for themselves by taking advantage of this hands-on experience. Check out the wide array of disciplines and topics our students will engage with this summer.

English major Megan Eckstrom will continue developing the George Eliot Digital Archive, a website housing the complete works of the renowned writer, with faculty mentor Beverley Rilett.

"This has been extremely helpful in showing me that I really do enjoy research, and it's something that I can get into and actually get something out of," she said. "I think this is something I do want to pursue at some level in the future, and I could not have been able to say that before UCARE."

Brooke Mott and Nichole Brady completed their UCARE project in the spring by organizing the university's second Homerathon under associate professor of practice Mike Lippman's guidance.

"It has been such a learning experience and I think it’s made me a better student and a better person,” Mott said. “It has made me much more confident and competent when speaking with people I don’t know, how to form working relationships and budget."

“It teaches us leadership, how to meet deadlines and work on a team project,” Brady said. “You can’t succeed without working together. When you’re in your career and you’re given a project or goal you have to reach, being able to work as a member of a team is really important.”