Introduction

Lisa Gates, Middlebury College

Focusing on Community in Undergraduate Research

doi: 10.18833/spur/5/3/10

Community is at the heart of our work in undergraduate research. In this issue, community is a leitmotif, as authors explore the impacts of undergraduate research on educational success and the innovative programs and assessment approaches that get us there. The collection of vignettes takes this a step further, exploring undergraduate research projects with local and international community partners. Community-connected undergraduate research is especially exciting for students as they grapple with community needs and see the results of their contributions.

Our assessment section highlights effective approaches in examining the tangible impacts of undergraduate research on student educational attainment. Laura Diaz-Martinez (University of Texas, El Paso), Samantha Battaglia (Gonzanga University), Lourdes Echegoyen (University of Texas, El Paso) break new ground in their comparative study of impacts on students participating in formal STEM research programs and informal research opportunities at a Hispanic-serving institution. The introduction of a zero-credit course for undergraduate research allowed the authors to examine the impacts of different modes of participation in different demographic groups, including transfer students and students with high financial need.

Next, Kaitlyn Stormes (State University of California, Los Angeles), Nicole Streicker  (State University of California, Long Beach), Graham Bowers (State University of California, Los Angeles), Perla Ayala, and Guido Urizar (State University of California, Long Beach) use propensity methods to evaluate the impact of undergraduate research training programs on educational outcomes at a minority-serving institution. The authors focus on underrepresented students participating in undergraduate research programs aligned with the National Institutes of Health-funded Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative. The authors argue that employing this statistical method allows researchers to control for self-selection bias and better evaluate the impact of programs on student outcomes.

In our practice section, Linda Walters, Kimberly Schneider, and Mary Tripp (Central Florida University) describe a successful initiative using peer coaches to increase support for research-intensive courses across disciplines. Peer coaches focus on specific research activities identified by the faculty instructor. Their contributions vary widely, from offering additional technical expertise to helping students create research posters. Survey data report positive impacts in student learning for students and gains for peer coaches, making this a viable model supporting the demands of research-intensive courses. 

Our feature article explores the impacts of an inclusive approach to undergraduate research at a comprehensive public university. Claudia Knezek, Patricia Morreale, Susan Gannon, George Chang, Jeffrey H. Toney (Kean University) describe their successful curricular model that increased student participation in an annual research showcase. In their study, the authors used a predictive model to assess educational gains among showcase participants, including GPA and degree completion rates, in different demographic groups.

The vignettes in the next section shift our focus to communities beyond the university. By bringing together undergraduate research and community organizations, students contribute to solving problems and producing knowledge relevant to communities, both proximate and distant, and new ways to continue this work during COVID-19. Michael Springer (University of Central Oklahoma) describes his ongoing collaboration with the Dutch Church Provenance Book Project, engaging teams of undergraduate researchers in contributing to an online collection catalog. Students learn about conservation, preservation, and the history of the church’s 500-year-old library. Kristine Lamm West and Caroline Krafft (St. Catherine University) discuss the benefits of bringing together big data and community issues in their econometrics course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) at a women’s college.

Christopher Foley (University of Southern Mississippi) and Elizabeth Englesbretson (Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center) describe their approach to community-connected research in a general education course about literature and the environment during COVID-19. Working with a community partner focused on reducing plastic in the waste stream, the authors developed community-focused activities to help students explore the impacts in communities and coastal settings.

Ambria Crusan and Megan Baumler (St. Catherine University, Henrietta Schmoll School of Health) discuss a new online approach to conducting nutritional assessments for Latinx residents in their community. Pivoting to an online platform allowed their dietetics students to work via telehealth and study how this shift reduced barriers to healthcare access.

Finally, Juan Gil (Penn State Altoona) reviews A Mathematician’s Practical Guide to Mentoring Undergraduate Research by Allison Henrich, Lara Pudwell, and Michael Dorff. The authors, all experienced mathematicians, provide a useful guide for faculty mentors about how to approach the process, including developing research questions, mentoring underrepresented students, and applying for program funding.

We hope these insights into programs, courses, and assessment approaches will provide readers with ideas and initiatives of their own as we collectively work towards expanding the communities that benefit from undergraduate research.