Undergraduate Research Day, October 10, 2013

Today is the ninth annual Undergraduate Research Day at the University of Houston. At this exciting celebration, we are highlighting the achievements of our 63 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students and the 67 other students who are presenting on their research experiences at our event. Undergraduate Research Day is an opportunity for our campus community to support mentored research activities, knowing that building relationships with professors is pivotal to students' academic and professional path. By way of example, of the first-time college students who entered UH from 2002-2007, and participated in a program offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research, approximately 92% graduated within six years. To put this statistic into perspective, the average 6-year graduation rate in Texas is approximately 49%. It is our privilege and pleasure to encourage the efforts of our researchers, applaud the work they have accomplished in the past year, and learn more about their projects and findings. The students you are meeting today have spent months working closely with their mentors and research teams, and this event is the culmination of their hard work and collaboration with professionals and scholars in their field. Our researchers are bright, talented, dedicated students who represent our future leaders. We congratulate them on their achievements. The SURF students presenting today also participated in our Brown Bag Lecture Series this past summer (see page 38). These seminars are a further extension of our efforts to prepare our students for the challenges they will face in graduate school and within the workforce. Our SURF participants also toured distinguished research centers on campus, learning more about what it means to be a member of a Tier One Research University. We extend our appreciation to the Provost's Office, the Division of Research, and the Honors College for their continued support of our Office's programs. Our ability to expand and broaden the services we offer students through mentored research activities is directly dependent upon the funding we receive from these units. Also, we thank our selection committee for the time and effort they spend reviewing the applications we receive for our scholarship and award programs. Their input and feedback enable us to refine and revise our policies and procedures, and adhere to the ever-changing needs of the UH community. It is a pleasure to have you with us at our event today, and we are delighted that you have taken the time to offer your support to our University of Houston student researchers.