Photo Credit: Chelsea Moody. Zion National Park Tree Frog Research Group
Who can conduct research?
All undergraduate students constantly conduct research, using library holdings, laboratory experiments, clinical studies, and interviews with experts to complete the projects their professors assign them each semester.
Utah Tech Undergraduate Research, however, encourages students to conduct involved research on single topics over extended periods and then present their findings in formal settings, such as conferences. Typically, the students pursuing these projects work closely with faculty mentors who not only provide their scholarly expertise but also practical advice on preparing and delivering conference presentations.
What are the advantages of conducting research?
When a student pursues a demanding research project and presents his or her findings to an audience, this student will typically develop an expert’s knowledge about the topic he or she has examined. In addition, the student will learn and adopt a set of skills that can help her or him successfully pursue and investigate other academic challenges as undergraduates now and perhaps as graduate students later. Working on research projects enables students to network with others who share their interests, too, prompting them to establish relationships that may lead to new academic and professional opportunities, including internships, grants funding, publications, and even employment.