The Obvious and Subtle Benefits of Undergraduate Scholarship Gina MacDonald James Madison University

The Obvious and Subtle Benefits
of Undergraduate Scholarship
Gina MacDonald
James Madison University
WHY ?
Educate the next generation
Generate new knowledge
For the Students
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Jobs
Graduate and professional schools
Problem solving and creative thinking
Unique skills
Investigation to publication
Student success = Institutional success
One on one mentoring &
Excitement
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Ask current faculty what made the
difference in their careers ?
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Works for everyone
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New assessment on undergraduate
research in the sciences overwhelmingly
supports benefits for ALL students
Debate and Exchange of Ideas
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Students present their ideas
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Publications
Presentations at regional, national & international
meetings
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Interactions with experts interested in their projects
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Students can go back and test new ideas or
discuss alternative ideas –
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THINKING
Unique benefits from
Undergraduate Research
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UG research projects increase student learning
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Do not have the same pressures
Allows unique flexibility in research and
outreach efforts!
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Investigate questions a little outside the box
FUN! less rigid = rapid movement to new field
Interdisciplinary - REALLY
Students and Interpreters
Scholarship Helps to…
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Familiarize the next generation of interpreters
and educators with the laboratory
 Scientists are really not that unusual - collaboration
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Encourage ALL students to continue learning
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Important experiences for all students
Continuing education opportunities for teachers
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opportunity to update and share their skills with high
school students and undergraduates
Return on Educational Investments
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Not always obvious
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We need to educate politicians and voters
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How science works
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Educate students and society
How Science Works
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Testable Hypotheses
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Refine hypotheses based on recent results
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Peer reviewed and reproducibility
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Basic Research = Applied Research
Return on Educational Investments
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Similar to science and research funding
“There does not exist a category of science to
which one can give the name applied
science. There are science and the
applications of science, bound together as
the fruit to the tree which bears it.”
…….. Louis Pasteur
Why are Education and Research
Dollars money well spent ?
Our future is dependent on current investments in research and
education. We need to have investments in our intellectual capital.
How did they know ?
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The basic research that made
MRI and fMRI possible began in
physics laboratories in the early
decades of the last century.
Those decades included crucial
discoveries by physicists and
chemists interested in studying
the magnetic properties of
atoms and molecules, in seeing
how they interact, and in
elucidating their basic
structures. As George Pake,
Purcell's second graduate
student, put it in 1993, "Without
the basic research, magnetic
resonance imaging was
unimaginable."
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http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.article.asp?a=129
The National Academies Website
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Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine 2003
Paul C. Lauterbur
University of
Illinois Chemist
Sir Peter
Mansfield
University of
Nottingham,
School of
Physics and
Astronomy
How do we know ?
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Number theory has for centuries been widely regarded as
the purest of the pure sciences, but in recent years it has
found many applications in computer security.
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Studying Insect mating habits and pheromones helps
farmers
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Who is the next American Nobel Prize winner ?
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How do we explain to politicians and the public that we
cannot easily predict what research and educational
investments will ultimately yield ?
HOW ?
Its not all about the money
Short Answers to Implementation
(in addition to or in the absence of extra $$)
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Faculty
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Department
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Passion for scholarship
Integrating research and education
Scheduling and strategic planning
Culture & mission to integrate scholarship &
education
Institution
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$$, culture, support, services, planning
Faculty
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The Individual Champion(s)
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most likely started research culture
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gradually became department culture
energizer bunny who made life easier for us!
Research Active Faculty
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year long efforts
externally funded
publish papers
scholarship = education
Answers
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Scholarship is a PRIORITY
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Time to think and read the literature
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Collaborations
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Conferences
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especially smaller conferences
Sabbaticals
Cultural Support
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Reward successes of students and faculty
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Share ideas
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Scholar-Teacher model expected and supported
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Students expect and value the opportunity to
contribute to research projects
Integration = RESULTS
 Students
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 Faculty
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 Increased Infrastructure
 undergraduate research & education
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 Increased
number of educated students
What can Faculty Control
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Hiring & Tenure
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Support Faculty and Student Success –
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Most important decision
dictate culture of department
Scholarship & publications with undergraduates is expected
Integrate scholarship and coursework
Celebrate and expect it
Remember: Research IS Education
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Time spent on research with undergraduates is time spent
educating students
Products of research
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Added instrumentation and infrastructure for
undergraduate projects and laboratories
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New curriculum that integrates scholarship
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Students better prepared for employment, graduate,
professional school and life
Evaluating Success
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Change in department culture
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research is a priority, research is education
Change in university culture
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influence other departments
NCUR all disciplines
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Increased institutional support
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Students can achieve their goals
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Educated Americans
Summary
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Passion for integrating scholarship & education
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Benefits students, faculty, institutions and
society
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More of the public excited about learning and
dynamic exchange of ideas facilitates
democracy and equality.