Vol. 38, No. 18

10-8-2008
By: Julia Harris

RESEARCH AWARENESS MONTH: Research: Not just for grad students anymore

For most people, it’s usually not a hard question to answer. But for Allison Buenger, the simple inquiry of “What did you do over the summer?” brings up a rather complicated answer.

“My summer research fellowship was devoted to developing a vocabulary of surface treatment techniques,” she says. “Specifically, I was attempting to find how surface treatment of ceramic artwork could enhance the overall meaning of a piece.”

Translation: Buenger, an undergraduate majoring in fine arts, spent her summer doing research. She was one of 13 student research fellows selected by the Undergraduate Research Office to receive a $3,500 stipend and work closely with a faculty research mentor on an independent research project.

For Buenger, her project — “Exploring Ceramic Surface Treatment to Enhance Artistic Meaning,” under the advisement of Professor Rebecca Harvey — gave her the freedom to study the works of other ceramics artists and experiment with several treatment processes on her own works of art.

Her research fellowship gave her the time she needed to immerse herself in her studies and to explore techniques too time-consuming to fully experience during regular class instruction.

Ultimately, she says, the pieces she worked on this summer will be displayed in her thesis show at the end of the year.

“The experience wasn’t easy, but it was definitely worth it,” Buenger says. “It was a wonderful way to test myself, and that’s possibly the most valuable education. It reinforced my ability to trust myself and taught me to pursue endeavors that at first may seem extremely difficult.”

For Allison Snow, director of the Undergraduate Research Office with a joint appointment as professor of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, those words are music to her ears.

Since 2006, when the URO was officially formed, she and her small staff have been working to make stories like Buenger’s happen for more and more undergraduates.

“A big part of our role is to educate the community, students and faculty alike, about how research can enrich an undergraduate’s education,” Snow said.

“At such a big university, there are so many resources out there that it becomes overwhelming to students, who often don’t know where to begin finding something that would be interesting or useful to them,” she added.

The concept of involving undergrads in research is not new or unique to Ohio State — indeed, it is becoming the norm for universities to have offices similar to Snow’s at work smoothing the way for research collaborations between faculty and students.

OSU’s preeminence as a public research institution, however, and the steadily improving caliber of students admitted each year, means that an unprecedented depth of talent waits at both ends of the pool.

Holly Wagner, a graduate assistant working toward her nursing degree, says the job of the URO is to serve as a liaison between those two ends of the pool. “We take some of the mystery out of the process for students,” she said. “We explain what research means, how and why they should get involved. And for faculty, we help them find qualified students to do research in their labs.”

The office maintains a website with resources for both faculty and students, such as a catalog of research opportunities, funding deadlines, frequently asked (and answered) questions about research at Ohio State, and profiles of undergraduate researchers in a wide range of fields. They coach students on preparing professional resumes and presenting themselves as useful partners to faculty.

The Undergraduate Research Day, an annual event launched just last year, is another way the office makes itself known to the university community. Held Oct. 19 in the lobby of the Psychology Building from 1-5 p.m., the event will feature poster sessions by college researchers and their faculty mentors and workshops for undergrads about research, how to do it and what faculty are looking for.

“Ultimately, we want to communicate to faculty how great our students are and how many of them are eager to help with research,” Snow said. “Our job is to make it as easy as possible for faculty to work with students, so that it’s beneficial for both of them.”

onCampus Home