Charlotte Research Scholars Effort Continues with Undergraduates

The 60 undergraduate students from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and other colleges at UNC Charlotte who are part of the Charlotte Research Scholars program have completed their 10-week research experience, working collaboratively with faculty mentors.

In its second year, the program is designed to provide the students exposure to cutting-edge work in their disciplines, so they can gain the experiences and training needed to be successful in research and in graduate school programs.

The scholars worked on a diverse set of research topics. “Undergraduate research through the Charlotte Research Scholars program enhances the student learning experience and expands the intellectual vitality of the university,” said Tom Reynolds, associate provost and dean of the graduate school.

UNC Charlotte faculty mentors guided the students through the research process. “We are privileged to be at a university filled with renowned scholars and researchers—and the program allows students to truly benefit from this expertise,” say Scott Fitzgerald, associate professor of sociology. “Our students work one-on-one with UNC Charlotte faculty on important problems within our fields, while simultaneously being trained as the next generation of scholars.”

Faculty mentors were so satisfied with last year’s program that many are returning again this year to guide a new group of scholars.

“The inaugural CRS program was a great success,” said Ryan Kilmer, professor of psychology. “My colleague Jim Cook and I co-supervised three students who readily engaged in the research process, took initiative, sought to develop new skills, and tussled with the complexities of our community research efforts. They not only learned a great deal, but enjoyed themselves as well.”

Charlotte Research Scholars partners with other summer research programs at UNC Charlotte to provide training in the skills critical to professional success, including sessions on responsible conduct of research, professional communications and writing, research fellowships, and an overview of the graduate school experience. The program culminates with the Summer Research Symposium on July 24 at 9 AM in the Student Union, where the undergraduate researchers will present their results. The Summer Research Symposia is free and open to the public.

As North Carolina’s only urban research institution, this initiative demonstrates the university’s commitment to an environment of discovery. As a result, the benefits of undergraduate research are far-reaching and can lead to unexpected outcomes.

“The scholars’ CRS experience proved to be an impetus to go further and build on what they had done,” Kilmer said. “For instance, two scholars proposed work and later presented projects as lead authors at a professional conference. For another, her CRS experiences helped her gain admission into a graduate program overseas. Overall, the students benefitted tremendously.”

The initiative is supported by UNC Charlotte’s Department of Academic Affairs, the Charlotte Research Institute and the Graduate School.  For more information on the Charlotte Research Scholars and the Summer Research Symposium, visit the website.