RESEARCH
OUTREACH
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
The faculty and staff at Penn State Behrend are committed to making research a major component of the undergraduate educational experience.
Classroom
Over the last several years, the college has worked toward this end by developing funding and recognition programs that enhance research opportunities at the undergraduate level. These opportunities include an undergraduate research grant program, an undergraduate student research award, an undergraduate research and creative accomplishment conference, and a summer research fellowship program. The college also supports undergraduate travel to attend professional meetings. Annually, the college provides nearly $200,000 of support for undergraduate research.
What are the benefits of undergraduate research for students?
Deadlines
The deadlines vary for each type of research opportunity. Refer to the undergraduate student research deadlines for 2008-2009 for more information.
What programs are available?
The Behrend College Undergraduate Student Academic Year Research Grant Program and the Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellowship.
These programs are designed to provide incentive for student involvement in faculty research projects. Each student is eligible for grants of $700 to $1,200. The students are required to go through a formal proposal process, including selection of a faculty mentor, development of a research project, composition of a formatted proposal, and a review process at the school and college level.
Updates
Academic Year Grants
Student Grants
1999-2000: 38 grants totaling $20,120
Summer Research Fellowship
Behrend College Council of Fellows Undergraduate Student Research Award
This program recognizes students who have made research an integral part of their undergraduate education. Students are nominated from each of the college’s four schools. The nomination process and subsequent selection process provide feedback to the students regarding both the quantity and quality of their research efforts. Students receive cash awards of $200.
1999-2000
Daniel Huer (Plastics Engineering Technology)
Eric Billman (Biology)
2000-2001
Richard Gill (Biology)
Jason Jell (Biology)
2001-2002
Justina Egan (Psychology)
Jessica Turos (Psychology)
2002-2003
Melinda Hanes (Biology and Chemistry)
2003-2004
Michael Hammill (Business Economics)
2004-2005
Susan Ellis (Biology)
2005-2006
John Crane (Psychology)
2006-2007
Christopher Suprock (Mechanical Engineering)
Kala Wolfe (Biology)
2007-2008
Chelsea Fenush (Psychology)
Alicia Klinvex (Computer Science)
Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi: Undergraduate
Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference
The purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for students to present their research and creative accomplishment results in a public setting. Students present their results either by poster or by oral presentation. Students from the other regional colleges and universities are also invited to participate.
Conference
The 2008 Conference was a success, with 101 posters and oral presentations involving eighty-eight faculty members and 179 students; the participants represented ten colleges and universities in northwestern Pennsylvania. The abstract book indicates winners and runners-up for oral presentations and posters.
Abstract book for 2000, Ninth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2001, Tenth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2002, Eleventh Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2003, Twelfth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2004, Thirteenth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2005, Fourteenth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2006, Fifteenth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2007, Sixteenth Annual Conference
Abstract book for 2008, Seventeenth Annual Conference
The 2009 conference will be held April 18, 2009. A call for abstracts, with submission guidelines, has been issued.
Senior Projects
All senior students in the School of Engineering conduct team-oriented capstone design projects sponsored by industry. Students work in tandem with faculty and industrial representatives to formulate and implement solutions to an actual design or manufacturing problem.
Travel to Professional Meetings
The college, in conjunction with the University’s Office of Undergraduate Education and International Programs, will consider requests for student travel to present posters or oral presentations at professional meetings. Up to two-thirds of the costs are covered. Final approval is dependent on availability of funds. Annually, 120 students travel to conferences with this support.
All requests for travel must be submitted via an Undergraduate Research Travel Request.
What are some of the results of undergraduate research?
Student presentation at Undergraduate Research Conference
Undergraduate students have presented over 400 papers at regional, national, and international professional meetings and have published more than fifty journal articles. In addition, since 1989, 50 percent of all student papers at the Annual Technical Meeting of the Society of Plastics Engineers have been given by Penn State Behrend students.
How do I get started?
Student Presentation
If you think that you are interested in a particular field of research study, talk to your advisor, one of your faculty members, or the staff of the Dean’s Office. You can also find out more about faculty research interests. They will help you to identify faculty members who are conducting research or other scholarly activity in your area of interest. The next step is for you to meet with the specific faculty member to determine how to proceed, including searching for funding; writing a proposal; determining if the work will be done for credit, as an independent study or senior project, or as a work-study activity.
Who administers undergraduate research?
The Penn State Behrend Undergraduate Research Program is administered by the Chancellor's Office. Funding is provided by the college and through private donations and endowments. For further information contact the college at 814-898-6160 or rwl2@psu.edu.
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