Drue Marr, a junior English, psychology and pre-law triple major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, spends 10-15 hours a week getting paid to research the regulations of people’s emotions.
Marr won a competitive grant under a program called UCARE, or Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences. The program offers undergraduate students a stipend to work on research with the help of a faculty member or graduate student.
“There are so many moving parts to a research project with very strict deadlines and new skills that you have to learn very quickly,” Marr said. “The hardest part is the simple task of stepping into a whole new academic world that you have no idea how to navigate.”
Justina Clark, the director of undergraduate research, said research opportunities are important for students.
“Many undergraduates don’t know what research is like,” Clark said. “It’s a mentored environment that helps them to decide if research is for them.”
The research opportunities aren’t just for science majors. UCARE and the Undergraduate Research Office tries for a broad distribution across all majors and colleges. Last year, close to 70 majors were represented by UCARE.
For Regan Gilmore, a junior natural resource and environmental economics major, applying for UCARE was based on a graduate school information session. From that session she met Azzeddine Azzam, a professor of agricultural economics, who was working in the area of research that influenced her: the environmental footprint of meat and meat consumption rates.
“He’s the one who encouraged me to apply for UCARE, and he was instrumental to the success of my proposal,” Gilmore said.
Azzam is one of many professors who helps undergraduates adjust to working with faculty and graduate students.
“Curiosity and a good attitude are what makes a student fit to work in a research lab on a faculty-led project,” Azzam said.
Presley McGarry, a junior psychology and criminology major, started volunteering in a lab focused on law and policy. She was a pre-med student at the time.
“It helped me choose a happier path for school and the future because I got that experience,” McGarry said.
She plans on applying for UCARE now that she has lab experience and research question ideas.
“Many students begin as volunteers, which creates reliability with staff, making the application process easier,” Clark said.
Clark said the Undergraduate Research Office offers application workshops, and students can meet with her to find an area that fits their interests.
“Do it,” McGarry said. “Find something that remotely interests you and apply.”
Those involved in undergraduate research not only get to work under faculty advisors on research projects, but also have the chance to display their projects at the Undergraduate Research Fair on April 4 and 5.
