Center for Undergraduate Research


April 8, 2014


The Center for Undergraduate Research would like to keep you informed about the opportunities and accomplishments surrounding undergraduate research here at KU. Please forward this message to students, faculty, and staff who might be interested and encourage them to sign up for our mailing list.
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
Have some news about undergraduate research in your department?  Let us know by emailing cur@ku.edu.




Follow us online:
 
Join Our Mailing List

Folklore & Free Electrons:
An evening dedicated to research, the professors who conduct it, and the students who want to get involved. 
       

What do Trinidadian female vampires and inorganic chemistry have to do with each other? Very little on their own, but talk to KU professors Giselle Anatol and Tim Jackson, and the connection will become clearer. Dr. Anatol, an English professor, has researched the origins and development of folktales surrounding the soucouyant, a terrifying demon from Trinidadian folklore that appears as an antisocial old woman by day but peels off her skin and flies from house to house to suck her neighbors' blood by night. Dr. Jackson, a chemistry professor, researches the sophisticated mechanisms by which our bodies use metals to live and how chemistry is everywhere: from renewable energy to the very foods we eat. On paper, these professors study two very different topics, but research is the link that will bring the two together for a night that will turn the notion of research being boring and limited to the sciences on its head.

The Center for Undergraduate Research & KU's Research Leaders invite you to join us in learning more about these topics, the thought process behind each professor's research, and how to get involved, whatever your major. Snacks will be provided, and free t-shirts will be available for the first 100 students!

 

  • Who:  KU Undergraduate Students from all majors are invited to attend.  No need to RSVP. 
  • Where: Hashinger Hall, Blackbox Theatre
  • When:  Thursday, April 17th, 7:00 pm 

   

 Read more about getting started in research...

 
Call for Applications: Fall 2014 Graduate Research Consultants

The Center for Undergraduate Research is currently accepting applications for classes interested in having a Graduate Research Consultant (GRC) in the Fall 2014 semester.  The GRC program is designed to support instructors interested in incorporating research and creative projects into their undergraduate classes, providing financial support ($500) to a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher to spend 30 hours over the course of a semester to help design a research project, mentor students, and evaluate student learning for a particular course.  Some examples of ways that GRCs might work with a class from KU's inaugural group of GRCs are posted on our website.  Instructor/ GRC pairs from all disciplines, and for all KU courses, are eligible to apply.
  • Information Session:Questions about the Graduate Research Consultant Program? Join us on Wednesday, April 16th at 10:00 in the Centennial Room of the Kansas Union for an informal Q & A about the Graduate Research Consultant program.  No RSVP is required.
  • Deadline: All applications must be received by noon on Thursday, May 8, 2014 to be considered for funding during the Fall 2014 semester. 

Find out more about the Graduate Research Consultant Program...

 

 

 
Journal of Undergraduate Research now accepting applications


Did you know that KU has its very own undergraduate research journal?  The Journal of Undergraduate Research is now accepting submissions from all undergraduates for publication in the 2013-2014 edition.  This is a great venue for students to share the products of their scholarship.  The deadline for submissions is May 23. 


The Journal accepts the following types of work: 

  • Research Briefs/ Artist Statements (500-2,000 words):  These shorter documents provide a concise overview of your project, and are often reports about projects in-progress or a shorter paper for a class.  Artist statements will be submitted along with images, and should explain the methods, themes, and inspiration of your work.
  • Full manuscripts (5,000-8,000 words):  These longer documents offer a fuller exploration of a topic than a research brief, and are often the results of a larger class paper, capstone project, or senior thesis.

Learn more about KU's Journal of Undergraduate Research... 

 

April Spotlights 
  

Alumnus spotlight: Joe Morgan, Web Developer
Major: Philosophy, Class of 2006
View this spotlight.



 

Mentor spotlight: Michael Rubin
Department: Chemistry
View this spotlight.

  

  

 

Student spotlight: Alexa Varady
Major: Mathematics & Computer Science
View this spotlight.

  

  


We're still looking for more alumni to feature on our website, so please forward this to anyone you know who might be interested in being featured.  They can fill out the alumni spotlight form here.
 
KU is an institutional member of the Council on Undergraduate Research.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University's programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.