Celebrating Research, Creativity and Scholarship

By Sathya Achia Abraham

Learning these days is much more than what you can get out of a textbook. Just ask the more than 200 undergraduate and graduate student researchers who will be showcasing their research and creative projects during Virginia Commonwealth University’s second Student Research Week.

The VCU event, scheduled for April 23-27, brings together undergraduate and graduate students from across disciplines to celebrate research, creativity and scholarship.

“VCU Student Research Week underscores the university’s commitment to student excellence and research. For the second year, we will be highlighting the efforts of our students,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “The opportunity to share research with their peers provides the feedback and reinforcement that drives collaboration and discovery.”

By placing a strong emphasis on student research and involving students early in their academic careers, they are able to form an appreciation for research.

At VCU, students gain firsthand experience to the research environment through participating in any one of a number of research programs, including the VCU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, UROP, or pipeline programs offered through the VCU Center on Health Disparities.

Through opportunities such as these, students are able to partner with talented faculty mentors to see their projects develop and mature through their undergraduate and graduate years. In many cases, this ultimately helps students determine if a career in research is right for them. 

“VCU is rich in research, creativity and scholarship, and so serves as an excellent backdrop for these hands-on learning experiences,” said Francis Macrina, Ph.D., VCU’s vice president for research.

“VCU research programs provide an outstanding platform for the pursuit of graduate education.  And the UROP provides a portal of entry for undergraduates to experience firsthand the excitement and rewards of doing research,” he said.

Research across VCU’s campuses

During the week of April 23, VCU student investigators from the College of Humanities & Sciences and the schools of Allied Health Professions, Arts, Business, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Interdisciplinary Studies will have the opportunity to showcase research findings and creative projects.

In many instances, students started the projects from scratch, including proposing the project, developing research questions and mapping out what they hoped to accomplish. They ran the experiments, collected data and analyzed and interpreted the data.

A fleet of faculty mentors kept tabs on the students, encouraging discovery and offering guidance while observing the young investigators and creators taking steps and missteps on the path to knowledge.

Research Week is sponsored by the VCU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, VCU Graduate Student Association, the VCU Office of Research and the VCU Office of the Provost.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, contact Herb Hill at hhill@vcu.edu or 804-828-4450, or visit http://www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/ugresources/research-week_2012.htm.

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