[FUN_Mail] advice on undergrads in the research lab

[Megan Hagenauer]

The University of Michigan has a really successful track record for
incorporating undergraduates into faculty research on campus.

Part of that success derives from a centralized organization on campus that
has helped train undergraduates in basic research skills and place them in
faculty labs since 1988. This program is called the Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Program (UROP; https://lsa.umich.edu/urop) and is run by
Charmise Knox (cknoxl at umich.edu). I'm sure that she would be happy to talk
with you about the strategies that UROP has been using to encourage faculty
participation (and also improve the quality of student research
participation).

Within many of the departments at UM, student research participation has
been incorporated into the major requirements. I think the most successful
example is the Psychology department, where many students are involved in
faculty research for 2-8 semesters. I'm not sure how the department
originally encouraged faculty buy-in, but the ability for the students to
receive credit for so many semesters means that they are often
highly-trained lab members by junior/senior year (i.e., less of a time sink
for the faculty training them...). A substantial subset of the students
produce honors thesis projects that are roughly equivalent to a master's
thesis. After graduation, this pool of highly-trained undergraduate
researchers is then cherry-picked by the faculty for lab managers and
graduate students.
If you want to learn more about their model, Brian Wallace (director of
student academic affairs in Psychology; bwallace at umich.edu,
https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/administrative-staff/bwallace.html) would
probably be a good person to contact.

Best wishes,
Megan


On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 2:14 PM, Gary M. Lange <gmlange at svsu.edu> wrote:

> Judy:
>
> I have done this quite frequently with undergraduates for well over 20
> years.  If you feel I could be helpful please let me know.
>
>
> Gary
>
>
> **********************************
> Gary M. Lange, Ph.D.
>
> Professor & Department Chairperson
>
> Department of Biology
>
> Saginaw Valley State University
>
>
> (989) 964-4336
>
> gmlange at svsu.ed*u*
>
>
> *“**With self-discipline most anything is possible.*
> *” *
>
> *–**Theodore Roosevelt*
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* FUN_Mail <fun_mail-bounces at lists.funfaculty.org> on behalf of
> Judith Ogilvie <judith.ogilvie at slu.edu>
> *Sent:* Thursday, July 19, 2018 12:03 AM
> *To:* fun_mail at lists.funfaculty.org
> *Subject:* [FUN_Mail] advice on undergrads in the research lab
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I vaguely remember that I saw something about a workshop or presentation
> on how to productively involve undergrads in the research lab. We are
> trying to increase the number of labs that include undergrads, particularly
> at our med school. Is there someone in the FUN group, or someone that this
> group can refer me to, that would be interested in leading a workshop on
> this topic? I have identified people in our research and our administrative
> offices that are interested in paying to bring someone in.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> -Judy Ogilvie
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Judith Mosinger Ogilvie, Ph.D., FARVO
> Associate Professor of Biology
>
> Co-Director, Neuroscience Program
>
> Saint Louis University
>
>
>
> Office:  Morrissey 2513
>
> 3700 Lindell Boulevard
> St. Louis, MO  63108
> email:      *judith.*ogilvie at slu.edu <ogilviej at slu.edu>
> Phone:     314-977-3965
> Fax:         314-977-1014
>
>
>
> Lab:         Schwitalla M109
>
> 1402 South Grand Avenue
>
> St. Louis, MO 63104
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-- 
Megan Hastings Hagenauer, Ph.D.

Research Investigator in the Molecular, Behavioral Neuroscience Institute
Instructor in the Department of Psychology
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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