Thursday, October 25, saw the return of the Fall Undergraduate Research Fair (FURF). Each year, FURF allows undergraduate students to showcase the work they have done thus far in their academic careers. The event also gives underclassmen the opportunity to learn about the resources available to them in order to get started and be productive in their research endeavors, regardless of the topic or discipline.
Underclassmen attended a presentation by Professor DeeAnne Goodenough-Lashua in which she shared with students how to find research opportunities. Students can take advantage of on- and off-campus research opportunities listed on the College of Science’s website and look for internships via the Career Center’s website and databases. The biggest takeaway for students at the presentation was that doing research is like a full-time job and they should treat it as such. They learned that it is important to be professional when reaching out to professors and to do personal research before meeting with them so they can be as informed as possible.
Undergraduate Research Coordinator Dominic Chaloner was happy with the success of the 2016 FURF. “There were nearly 60 undergraduate research poster presenters and representatives from over 20 different institutions, centers, and academic units present at FURF,” according to Chaloner. “With between 400 and 500 students participating in the event, the diversity of research topics presented, and conversations that took place, I think this was another successful FURF.”
With the end of the fall semester quickly approaching, students can look forward to more information regarding undergraduate research in the spring at the College of Science Joint Annual Meeting (COS-JAM). The meeting is another opportunity to highlight the achievements of undergraduate students conducting research in all disciplines of science. Here, students will present their original scientific research in either an oral presentation or poster presentation and learn more about the myriad of scientific research opportunities available at the University of Notre Dame.