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BY STUART WOLPERT Posted with permission from UCLA Today The College of Letters and Science, which runs one of the largest undergraduate student-research programs in the country, has opened two undergraduate research centers to give students more access to research opportunities than ever before. "Our goal is to make UCLA the leading research university in the nation for undergraduate research," said Judith L. Smith, vice provost for undergraduate education in the college. To enrich the undergraduate learning experience, the college's Honors and Undergraduate Programs division has opened two undergraduate research centers, one serving students in the humanities and social sciences, and the other for students in the life and physical sciences. A director who conducts scholarly research and is experienced in undergraduate counseling and teaching heads each center. Audrey Cramer, director of the Life and Physical Sciences Undergraduate Research Center located at 2121 Life Sciences, earned her Ph.D. in biology at UCLA and was a UCLA Academic Advancement Program science counselor. Her research focuses on animal cognition, specifically the foraging strategies of monkeys. Reed Wilson, director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Center at 1201A Campbell Hall, earned his Ph.D. in English at UCLA and has been a counselor and lecturer in the English Department. His research interests center on contemporary poetry and American literature and culture. The undergraduate research centers will administer several programs, including the Student Research Program, one of the largest programs of its kind in American higher education. Open to all undergraduates, the program puts undergraduates working side-by-side with faculty members on research projects. "After students engage in research, they look at learning in a new light," Cramer said. "They learn to be critical thinkers -- how to think like scientists -- and they think, 'Now I'm a scientist, too.' A light goes on, and it removes the mystery of science. They get to look behind the scenes. "If students learn only what they are taught in their courses, they don't see how new knowledge is discovered," Cramer said. This hands-on experience can lead students to enroll in independent studies courses, and many students publish their research in leading journals and present their findings at regional or national conferences. "Some people think of research as going to the library and looking things up," Wilson said. "But research is not just finding knowledge, but creating new knowledge and adding to the body of knowledge." The two centers will also offer workshops for students interested in participating in the research program, counseling to help students identify faculty mentors and research stipends for undergraduates who are eligible for financial aid. To highlight the work of students, a series of events each May will be held to recognize the accomplishments of undergraduate researchers. And the centers plan to publish journals featuring undergraduate research articles. An undergraduate research Web site has also been created at www.college.ucla.edu/ugresearch/index.html Cramer and Wilson both have plans to expand undergraduate research with new programs and opportunities. "I think all students should do research; it allows them to take ownership of their education and to be more actively engaged in designing their education," Wilson said. "At UCLA, students can pursue almost anything that interests them, just like the faculty." |