Undergraduate Research Day, October 12, 2017

Our stellar undergraduate presenters are eager and ready to share their research experiences with you at this event. The presenters here today comprise our 81 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) participants as well as over 170 undergraduates who have conducted substantive research projects within the past year. Undergraduate Research Day grows in size and scope each year - and this year is no exception! The event today is 10 times the size than when it first began over a decade ago. We are very proud of our undergraduate researchers, and appreciate our guests attending the event. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the Office of Undergraduate Research sponsored nearly 250 students from across the University in faculty mentored research programs, and provided support to hundreds more through informational sessions and online resources. The programs offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research would not be possible without the support of the Office of the Provost, Division of Research, and the Honors College. Their support has been integral in allowing the Office to continue to develop new programs and enhance existing offerings to students across the University. In addition, we are grateful to the Cullen College of Engineering for supporting over 40 engineering students this year through the Engineering Undergraduate Research Scholarship program. We also thank the numerous colleges, departments, centers, programs, and donors who have provided financial support. This additional funding enables many more undergraduates to conduct research and form strong mentor relationships with faculty (see page 12 for listing of supporters). Two new team members have joined the Office of Undergraduate Research this year. Director of National Fellowships and Major Awards Ben Rayder has recently arrived on campus from Philadelphia. Dr. Rayder is available to provide guidance to students applying for external scholarship and research opportunities. If you are participating in undergraduate research, consider reviewing the various competitive opportunities on the Office of Undergraduate's website, and contact Dr. Rayder should you wish to learn more information. Program Manager of Co-Curricular Programs Adrian Castillo is also a new member of the Office. He has served at the University for a number of years in support of co-curricular programs offered through the Honors College, and earlier within Student Affairs. For those planning to apply for a research program, you will have the pleasure of working with Adrian. The Office strives to offer innovative, high-impact, co-curricular programs to students. In light of this, the University of Houston received a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish an undergraduate research program in the humanities. This three-year program, beginning in spring 2018, includes faculty-led seminars and a monthly discussion series, an intensive preparatory graduate school workshop, and a full-time summer mentored research experience leading into a thesis or capstone course to be completed during the senior year. Please visit the Mellon Research Scholars website for more information. For the last two years, over 50 freshman and sophomore students have reaped the benefits of participating in the Houston Early Research Experience - one of our newest and most exciting programs. In order to familiarize students with the fundamentals of conducting research, this two-week, intensive seminar pairs early undergraduates with faculty seminar leaders. The 2018 deadline is Friday, March 23, 2018. We hope you enjoy learning about the wide range of research projects our undergraduates have conducted over the past year. Thank you for attending this year's celebration day for undergraduate research, and we look forward to seeing you at future events offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Honors College.