April 2003

Briefly speaking: Experimenting with research

	Psychology major Yung Ching or "William" Chung, top left, presents his study of nighttime fears and phobias as Patricia Turner, vice provost for undergraduate studies at UC Davis, top right, looks on at a Sacramento event. (Debbie Aldridge/Mediaworks)

When parents hear that UC Davis is a research university, they correctly assume that this means faculty members are actively involved in study and experiment. They may not realize that professors encourage students to become researchers too, not in the distant future, but now -- as undergraduates.

One student who heard the call early is senior Nathan Bronson who, as a freshman, visited an academic adviser and said he wanted to do research. He soon found himself standing in a laboratory and scared to death. But with appropriate support, one year later Bronson had mastered important techniques and begun to develop his own projects. This year he will be a second-time presenter of research on enzymes at the all-day Undergraduate Research Conference on Saturday, April 26.

He will share the podium with 150 other student researchers, among them Erin McClelland, who says her project all began with her dad. "He's a BMW fanatic," she explains. Her presentation, titled "James Bond and Formula One: How BMW Enthusiasts Create a Unique Ownership Experience," began as a 15-page paper, metamorphosed into a senior project and finally emerged as a 100-page report.

Although McClelland's upcoming presentation sounds like the culmination of her efforts, in some ways it's only the beginning. Next comes graduate school, and McClelland credits research skills developed while doing her project, and advice and encouragement from her faculty adviser, Carolyn de la Peña, for the fact that she has already been accepted to one of her top choices.

Bronson and McClelland are hardly alone in making research an integral part of their academic experience. Research opportunities abound. Last quarter, 785 undergraduates enrolled in independent study courses involving research with a faculty member. Some received research stipends, and some will publish their work in UC Davis' publications for undergraduates, such as "Prized Writing" and "Explorations." Many will go on to complete an honors thesis.

Tammy Hoyer of Advising Services, who organizes the research conference, says "research opens students up to new ways of thinking," while the conference itself teaches them to communicate with a lay audience, often including their own proud parents.

Professors who have eagerly mentored the young researchers will also attend. After all, in helping undergraduates, many of them return to the place where their own passion began.

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