The presentation by Team 8 focused on developing pathways to undergraduate research, aiming to alleviate anxiety, spark interest, and enhance outcomes for students at UC San Diego. The team was comprised academic and career development professionals, along with student contributors, addressed the issue of navigating research opportunities, which can often be overwhelming and competitive, especially for newcomers.
How might we help undergraduate students better understand their pathway to research readiness in a way that decreases anxiety, increases interest, and improves outcomes.
Their project followed a structured timeline involving phases of problem identification, discovery, defining, developing, and deploying. Recognizing the diversity among undergraduate students, the team emphasized inclusive engagement across various demographics, including STEM and non-STEM disciplines, first-generation students, and LGBTQ+ communities. Secondary stakeholders, such as the Undergraduate Research Hub and the Career Center, were also considered critical to improving student research experiences.
Through empathy maps and the AEIOU observation framework, the team identified key challenges: students’ desire for accessible opportunities, the need for a centralized information source, and the importance of engaging communication and mentorship. Their research underscored the value of undergraduate research experiences and the barriers to access, highlighting the need for improved campus infrastructure, communication, and mentoring to facilitate these opportunities.
To address these insights, the team proposed creating a centralized platform for information on research opportunities. It emphasized the need for consistent mentorship and support that aligns with student’s learning goals and career explorations. They drew inspiration from the Rising Researchers program at the University of Texas San Antonio as a potential model for enhancing engagement with undergraduate research at UC San Diego.
Overall, the project highlights the critical need for a more integrated, supportive, and accessible approach to undergraduate research at UC San Diego. It offers suggestions for improvements in campus infrastructure, information dissemination, and mentoring to better serve students’ diverse needs and aspirations.
This report outlines strategies for addressing the identified needs of undergraduate students seeking research opportunities. It revisits and refines the problem statement to better reflect the student’s needs, focusing on providing numerous and varied research opportunities for exploration and professional development throughout their undergraduate careers.
How might we help undergraduate students learn about and access undergraduate research opportunities that are more numerous and varied to meet diverse needs for exploration and professional development at different times in their undergraduate careers?
This project proposes a multi-pronged approach that includes leveraging existing campus resources, such as workshops or a for-credit course, to introduce students to research methods and opportunities. It suggests utilizing the Triton Career Passport for career planning and enhancing faculty advising and mentorship in collaboration with various campus services.
A significant proposal is developing a consistent communication strategy, mainly through email, to inform students about research opportunities. The prototype phase involves designing an attractive and informative weekly email newsletter that updates students on available research positions and solicits their feedback. This newsletter aims to keep students engaged and informed, encouraging a dynamic exchange of information and feedback between students and the research community.
This project iteration concludes with a call to develop further and support these initiatives, emphasizing the importance of collective impact and collaboration across different campus services. It suggests the potential excitement around building support for these proposals, particularly the communication tool prototype, and calls for continued development and collaboration to realize these ideas fully.
This team collaborated during the SPUR 1.0 program term to further understand a problem statement and develop a potential solution. We recognize the collaborative work of the individuals who furthered our community’s knowledge of scaling paid undergraduate research.
- Sue McGuinness, Academic Liaison Program Director, Geisel Library
- Mike Zucker, Associate Director, Career Development and Industry Engagement
- Octavia Braun, Student, Chemical Engineering
- Shrieyaa Sekar-Jayanthi, Student, Cognitive Science, ML/Neural
- Noelle Lam, Cognitive Science (Design/Int)
- Huimeng Lu – Cognitive Science/Mathematics – Junior Designer Program
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Please review the story and answer the five questions based on your knowledge, experience, and perspective. Your feedback will help us to learn, work, and develop ideas that will impact paid undergraduate research opportunities at UC San Diego.
