Ohio State opens new office for undergraduate research

Research collaborations between undergraduates and faculty at The Ohio State University should become more common through a new Undergraduate Research Office that has been created to foster undergraduate research opportunities.

A collaboration between the Office of Research and the Office of Enrollment Services and Undergraduate Education, the new office coordinates a variety of programs and venues to engage undergraduate students in research activities within the Ohio State community. The office, which held an official opening event on Tuesday (1/10), will function not only as an incubator – providing support for research endeavors – but as a catalyst to encourage more undergraduate research to take place.

“Our ultimate goal is to make research experience a part of the culture for students at Ohio State,” said Allison Snow, the new office's director. Snow, a nationally-respected researcher and a professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, says, “Research should be a vital part of the educational process for all students, regardless of whether they are in the sciences or the humanities or in the honors program.”

President Karen A. Holbrook helped to advance the initiative to create an office dedicated to undergraduate research. When Holbrook was provost at the University of Georgia, she worked closely with CURO, the Center for Undergraduate Research. The plan to develop a program at Ohio State was part of the university Leadership Agenda in 2004.

Holbrook says the new office will provide a focal point to facilitate the involvement of undergraduate students in research projects.

“Research opportunities allow our students to work closely with faculty mentors to understand the issues and research methodologies of their chosen fields, and to gain the ability to apply concepts learned in their coursework to 'real-world' situations,” said Holbrook. “By doing so, students graduate with more marketable skills, better prepared for their careers. They will be good communicators and collaborators, and critical, analytical and independent thinkers,” she said.

Holbrook says efforts such as this office – along with many existing research opportunities and activities within the colleges – improve the education of students and help to shape the future of undergraduate learning at Ohio State.

One of the first tasks for the new office has been to create a Web presence. The site, http://ugresearch.adm.ohio-state.edu, includes links to student research and funding opportunities on- and off-campus; links to university offices that offer services related to student research; and general information about research and the benefits of participating. The web site will facilitate matching faculty and students interested in working together on research projects.

“Part of the Undergraduate Research Office's role is to make efforts already under way across the university more visible,” Snow said. “We want to make it as easy as possible for faculty and students to find each other.”