Interested in how to get started in research, creative, and scholarly activities? Want to learn more about available funding and presentation opportunities? Then join us with the Central Undergraduate Research Board for the first ever Undergraduate Research Week November 4 – 8, 2019! 

There are many benefits for students engaging in research such as expanding knowledge and finding solutions to problems, in addition to developing analytical and critical thinking skills. However, most students don’t take advantage of the opportunity. The Research, Creative, & Scholarly Activities (RCSA) grants have been given out since 2007 and the highest number of applications ever received is 157. This is just about 1.1% of undergraduate students at UCO.

We get it! Research isn’t easy. You have to read a lot of materials, interpret and analyze them, work in a lab, create something new, or think of a good research question and other challenging tasks.

This is the reason OHIP has decided to start an Undergraduate Research Week (URW)! The first URW is from the 4th to 8th of November, 2019.

The first day of the week will be a table event in the Nigh University Center (NUC) at 11 AM. There will be representatives from the OHIP, the Central Undergraduate Research Board (CURB), Institutional Review Board (IRB), and New Plains Student Publishing. These representatives will give out resources and information on research including about Undergraduate Research Week activities.

On the 5^th of November at 12:20 PM, Dr. Timothy Petete will be present at the library in room 226 an abstract writing workshop. An abstract is the summary of your research and getting all the important aspects in without making the abstract too long can be a difficult task. However, Dr. Petete is ready to make it easy for you!

There will be a lunch and learn session at the NUC in room 320B at the library on Wednesday, November 6 at 12 PM. Dr. Jessica Sheetz-Nguyen from the department of History and Geography and Dr. Melville Vaughan from the Biology department will lead a session on how to create research posters. While learning, you’ll be enjoying great foods like baked potato bar.

The fourth event of research week will be held on Thursday in room 109 of the Human and Environmental Sciences (HES) building at 12:30 PM. There will be a roundtable discussion led by Dr. Britanny Bannish from Mathematics department, Dr. Justin Olmstead from History department, and Dr. Jeanetta Sims, Dean of the Graduate College. This discussion will give students the opportunity to ask serious and important questions regarding how to get involved with undergraduate research. Lunch will also be provided during this session.

On Friday, the final day of the Undergraduate research week, features the McNair Scholars Showcase on the fourth floor of the library in the Max room from 1 to 3 PM. After spending all week learning about research, this will be a time for you to see current, cutting-edge research projects that we hope will inspire and motivate you!

All week, there will be poster display on the second floor of the library.

So mark your calendar and get ready for OHIP to take you on an informative and enlightening journey! Don’t forget to bring a friend along.