Undergraduate Academic Affairs is pleased to welcome Emily Kolby to her new appointment as director of First Year Curriculum and Engagement. Kolby identifies First Year Programs鈥� guiding principles of intentionality, collaboration, equity and access as essential to the work of serving students. She believes that with continuing the work of intentionally connecting with each student, that the program can create full and holistic first year experiences.
Category: Academic resources
Posts that relate to programs in the academic resources menu.
15 Seconds at a Time: Undergraduate Research Program [video]
In this video, Undergraduate Research Program Director Sophie Pierszalowski takes on the challenge of explaining the Undergraduate Research Program in less than 15 seconds at a time. 鈥�15 Seconds at a Time鈥� is a series in which various Undergraduate Academic Affairs programs explain their work in bite-sized bursts.
Creating your 91爆料 academic adventure
Welcome to the 91爆料! This story is your own choose-your-own-adventure story, and begins right here with you. You are a first-year student in your first quarter. As you read, you will face challenges that ask you to decide which way to go. What will your pathway be? As you jump from storyline to storyline, you will learn about the resources available to you through UAA’s . Just as in life, you can鈥檛 go backward in this story, but you will get opportunities to redirect along the way. Have fun, and see you at the finish line: commencement!
Editor鈥檚 note: This story is not meant to be read straight through. Read a section, make your choice and see what part of your academic adventure unfolds next.
1
It鈥檚 your first quarter at the 91爆料! You feel very motivated and excited by the possibilities of a big university and living on your own for the first time.
As you prepare for classes, you reflect on how you want to make a difference in people鈥檚 lives and help others. You aren鈥檛 entirely sure what this may look like, but you are leaning pretty heavily toward a major in a STEM field. You talk it out with your family and they support this idea, saying, 鈥淣ot only would you be able to help others, but you will have many post-graduate opportunities in a medical field.鈥�
You signed up for a series of introductory classes at summer Advising & Orientation, including a chemistry class. In the first week of class, you overhear a student saying, 鈥淚 heard this is a weed-out class,鈥� but you feel pretty confident in your academic ability based on your grades in high school.
Continue to #2
2
The quarter is underway, and after just a few weeks you find yourself overwhelmed with the workload in your chemistry class. Looking around you say, 鈥淲hy does everyone else seem to be managing this better than me?鈥� Your new friends are going to parties and get-togethers while you are stuck at your desk for hours trying to understand the textbook. You realize you never really learned how to study in high school, and have no idea if you are doing it effectively.
You decide you need to either increase your study hours and commit to study nights at Odegaard Library or talk to your TA about your challenges.
#3 Decide to do more solo studying at Odegaard
#4 Decide to check in with a TA
3
Decide to solo study at Odegaard
Having dedicated more time to studying at night in Odegaard library, you begin to get caught up on all your readings before each class. Although the evenings there come with fewer distractions, the late nights start to wear on you, leaving you feeling isolated and sleep-deprived. You make plans with new friends only to cancel, telling them, 鈥淚 can’t hang out because I need to study. I鈥檓 so anxious about answering questions in class correctly.鈥�
Your focus has improved as you move through the quarter. You review your lecture notes, the readings from the textbook, and do all the practice exercises. Since you are studying alone, though, you question if you are answering the questions correctly. The back of the textbook has some of the answers but not the ones you are most stuck on.
As midterms approach, you find yourself falling behind again. The late study nights leave you sleeping through your alarm clock and running late to classes. You are exhausted and bail on your quiz section to take a nap. At this point in the quarter you find yourself asking, 鈥淒o I need to go talk to my chemistry TA, or should I just keep doing what I鈥檓 doing and hope for the best?鈥�
#4 Decide to go check in with a TA
#5 Head to the midterm
4
Decide to check in with a TA
You schedule a meeting with your TA and share how much time you are studying. The TA reassures you that it鈥檚 enough time and gives you a piece of advice, “It is important to find study strategies that work best for you to understand the material.” You know the TA cares about your success and talking with them was helpful, but when you leave you realize you aren鈥檛 exactly sure how to find the strategies that work best for you, especially when you never had this type of workload in high school. You feel a little lost and stuck, so you head to the library for a few more late nights of midterm prep.
#5 Time to head to the midterm
5
It’s time for the midterm
The first midterm of the quarter is here, and with all the extra nights you spent studying, you feel like it went pretty well! The professor mentioned it would be graded on a curve, so you think you will get at least a B. When the test scores come back you find out you did not even pass! Looking at your score you think, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know how this could happen! I studied so much, and missed out on all the fall events. I鈥檓 nervous about asking for help, but with this score, it鈥檚 clear I am going to need it.鈥�
You remember seeing a post for and think they might be able to help you with your chem homework. You also remember an flyer in the HUB and think they might be able to help with study skills and time management. You feel anxious about either option but eventually decide to reach out.
#6 Go to CLUE tutoring
#7 Go to the academic success coach
6
Decide to go to CLUE tutoring
You have been feeling a little intimidated connecting with others, and your nervousness has kept you from going to CLUE tutoring yet. You realize you really do need the help as you say, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the worst thing that could happen?鈥� while eying the time on your phone. It鈥檚 7 p.m., so the CLUE tutoring drop-in sessions just started. You grab your chemistry homework and head over. You sit in the chemistry tutoring section and hear other students talk about tips they have used to better understand concepts. It鈥檚 reaffirming to hear that others struggle with the same material, and you feel like you鈥檝e warmed up to working with other students. The CLUE tutor reviews additional problems with you, helping you identify what step you were missing. You write down the steps to solve the problems, and are so happy to have that for later reference!
You feel like you have gotten help with some of the concepts you were struggling with in class, so now you need to choose if you want to keep studying these concepts for finals, or meet with an academic success coach and dive deeper into your study skills.
#10 Apply what you learned at CLUE and head to finals week
#8 Stopover with an academic success coach before finals week
7
Meet with the academic success coach
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the worst thing that could happen?鈥� you ask yourself as you . When you arrive and settle in, they ask how the quarter is going, and at first you say, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going okay.鈥� They continue to ask you questions and mention that they had a challenging time their first quarter at the 91爆料. You decide to tell them how you are actually doing: 鈥淚鈥檝e worked so hard and it鈥檚 as though I don鈥檛 see any of it reflected in my grades. I am homesick and sad to have missed out on new adventures with friends. I鈥檓 just always studying and barely making it!鈥�
The coach listens and says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 completely understandable that you are feeling homesick with all this time spent studying alone. I know when I studied alone and tried to teach myself all of the material my first quarter of college, I was totally exhausted and realized I needed to try new study strategies that would work for me.鈥� You feel relieved that someone understands you, and even more relieved when they share these active studying techniques with you. The coach suggests you start working with others to avoid isolation and collaborate through practice problems. 鈥淵ou can actively study with others by working together through practice problems and having discussions on the material,鈥� they suggest.
Before you leave, they go over what your academic needs and learning styles are so they can coordinate the right resources for you. You end up walking out with a list of CHEM student organizations for group course content discussions, CLUE tutoring to work through problems with and strategies for tackling practice problems. You think, 鈥淚 am so happy that I gave this a shot! You think about whether you should also get some 1:1 tutoring at CLUE or join a study group as you head to finals week.
#9 Decide to go to CLUE tutoring
#10 Head to finals week
8
Dive into study skills with an academic success coach
After going to CLUE tutoring, you are less intimidated in connecting with others. Now that you have gotten support with some of the class concepts, you want to address potential study strategies.
You head in to meet with an academic success coach and they ask how the quarter is going. You say, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going okay,鈥� but they continue to ask you questions and mention that they had a challenging time their first quarter at the 91爆料. You decide to tell them how you are actually doing, 鈥淚鈥檝e worked so hard and it鈥檚 as though I don鈥檛 see any of it reflected in my grades. I am homesick and sad to have missed out on new adventures with friends. I鈥檓 just always studying and barely making it!鈥�
The coach listens and says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 completely understandable that you are feeling homesick with all this time spent studying alone. I know when I studied alone and tried to teach myself all of the material my first quarter of college, I was totally exhausted and realized I needed to try new study strategies.鈥� You feel relieved that someone understands you, and even more relieved when they share these active studying techniques with you. The coach suggests you start working with others to avoid isolation and collaborate through practice problems. 鈥淵ou can actively study with others by working together through practice problems and having discussions on the material,鈥� they suggest.
Before you leave, they give you some great resources. A list of CHEM student organizations for group course content discussions and strategies for tackling practice problems. As you walk out you tell yourself, 鈥淚 think I have a better handle on study strategies I want to try. I鈥檓 going to reach out to these groups today and commit to studying with new friends instead of by myself!鈥� You are very happy you decided to schedule an appointment, and head out for boba to celebrate.
#10 Time for finals!
9
Decide to go to CLUE tutoring
You decide to head over to CLUE after your coaching session, grabbing your chem books and unanswered problems. The CLUE tutor reviews the problems with you and is able to identify what step you were missing. 鈥淚 could tell right away, because that is the step I always forgot and most students struggle with,鈥� they share. It鈥檚 reaffirming to hear that others struggle with the same material, and it feels good to be working with another student. After you complete a few problems, they have you write down the steps you took to solve it. You are grateful to take that with you for later reference. You feel like you have gotten help with some of the concepts you were struggling most with in class. Between the coach and CLUE, you feel ready now for finals.
#10 Head to finals week
10
It’s finals week!
As the week begins, you find yourself thinking 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely more prepared now than I was for midterms. I鈥檝e reviewed the concepts from the CLUE tutor and I鈥檝e been using the active studying techniques from the academic success coach. I鈥檓 ready for this week!鈥�
When final scores arrive, despite your hard work, you discover you are ending the class with a grade lower than what you were expecting. As you reflect on the experience of this first quarter, you wonder if you should sign up to retake the course. The idea alone has you feeling burned out and unmotivated. You ask yourself, 鈥淒o I really belong in STEM? I thought I would be motivated by studying something I could use to help people in a career. What am I doing wrong?鈥�
#11 Reinvigorate your path to STEM
#12 Continue as you have been
#13 Decide to switch majors
11
Reinvigorate your path to STEM
Thinking back to the conversation you had with the academic success coach, you remember them asking, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your motivation?鈥� When the year began, your goal was just to pass your classes. 鈥淲hat is my motivation?鈥� you wonder. You pull up a and spend the rest of the evening filling it out. Identifying specific short-term goals for each week, you put them all together toward one major long-term goal.
Keeping on track over the coming weeks helps you regain the motivation you felt before school started and you start to feel less burned out. With your free time you do self-care activities including more calls to your family. On a recent call you share, 鈥淚鈥檝e really been questioning myself and if I belong in STEM.鈥� Your family reminds you of how much of an impact and a difference you can make in your community! You feel inspired again and that is the fuel you need for the next quarter. Keeping your mind on the big picture, you eventually make it through the hardest times. You find yourself enjoying your studies and succeeding. You become a regular at CLUE and also continue meeting with an academic success coach. You feel invigorated and continue on through the school year 鈥� excited for class, happy to share time with new friends and look forward to what the future holds.
This is the end of this story, but yours is just getting started 鈥�
12
Continue as you have been
This quarter passes, then the next, and you keep grinding in your CHEM classes. You are so burned out you don鈥檛 even have the motivation to complete your work or reach out for more help. Thinking back to the conversation you had with the academic success coach, you remember them asking, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your motivation?鈥� When the year began, your goal was just to pass your classes. 鈥淲hat is my motivation?鈥� you wonder. 鈥淚 really felt like this was an optimal path for helping people and ensuring a great career post-college, but I think there might be another pathway for me to do that,鈥� you tell yourself. You schedule a meeting with your academic adviser, and share your recent self-discovery. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel connected to this side of the STEM world anymore. I鈥檝e been thinking about a move toward psychology as a potential field to help people.鈥� Your adviser helps you develop a plan to switch potential majors. You feel invigorated by your new self-discovery and continue on through the school year becoming a regular at CLUE and regularly meeting with an academic success coach. You are excited for class, happy to share time with new friends, and look forward to what the future holds for you.
This is the end of this story, but yours is just getting started 鈥�
13
Decide to switch majors
You鈥檝e struggled all year with the question: 鈥淚s STEM really for me?鈥� Thinking back to the conversation you had with the academic success coach, you remember them asking, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your motivation?鈥� When the year began, your goal was just to pass your classes. 鈥淲hat is my motivation?鈥� you wonder. 鈥淚 really felt like this was an optimal path for helping people and ensuring a great career post-college, but I think there might be another pathway for me to do that,鈥� you tell yourself. You keep coming back to psychology as an option where you could redirect yourself and still be helpful to people in your community. You meet with your adviser for support and together you put plans in place to switch potential majors. You feel invigorated by your new self-discovery and continue on through the school year becoming a regular at CLUE and regularly meeting with an academic success coach. You are excited about class, happy to share time with new friends, and look forward to what the future holds for you.
This is the end of this story, but yours is just getting started 鈥�
This story came together through collaboration. Thank you to these generous and creative colleagues for your work and dedication to this endeavor: Alli Botelho, Danielle Marie Holland, Gracie Pakosz, Ian Teodoro, Jenelle Birnbaum, Kirsten Atik and Mina Zavary. Photo illustrations by Ian Teodoro.
15 Seconds at a Time: The CELE Center [video]
In this video, CELE Center Executive Director Francesca Lo takes on the challenge of explaining the 91爆料 Community Engagement Center and Leadership Education (CELE) Center in less than 15 seconds at a time.
A pathway with promise
In June, 2021, Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor joined then-Mayor Jenny Durkan and educational leaders to announce increased funding for the successful college tuition and success program. The new funding prepares and supports Seattle Promise students in several ways, including their application and then transfer to the 91爆料.
As reported by , in the news conference Taylor 鈥渓ikened it to a relay race, with the batons passed smoothly from high schools to community colleges and then to the 91爆料.鈥�
The baton was passed to the 91爆料 as the partnership officially launched September 2021. The first cohort of participants in the partnership have wrapped up a year of advice and support. Eighty-three Seattle Promise students applied to the 91爆料 during this process, and 60 were admitted for the upcoming 2022-23 academic school year.
Resources and more info for and about the transfer student experience
- The next Seattle Promise application for Seattle鈥檚 public high school class of 2023 opens in autumn, 2022. Learn more at .
- from community college in general.
- 鲍础础鈥檚 Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) group conducts research on equitable college access, progression and transfer, degree completion, and employment in living-wage careers.
For the next cohort, a pool of around 1,100 students in Seattle Promise will have the ability to access the Path to 91爆料 adviser, Lily Peterson, and could choose to move forward in applying for a 91爆料 transfer. Path to 91爆料 programming includes events and workshops to help students explore transferring to the 91爆料, prepare to apply and transfer to the 91爆料, individualized admissions and advising support, and summer seminar courses to help students prepare academically for the transition to the 91爆料.
Many Seattle Promise students would be the first in their families to earn a college degree, come from low-income backgrounds, or experience other barriers to higher education. For these students, this can make the college application and transition process ambiguous and difficult to navigate. An adviser with experience in admissions, financial aid applications and academic planning helps students transfer successfully by supporting each student in learning how and what information to access to get their needs met in a larger system.
Path to 91爆料 adviser Peterson鈥檚 own pathway to advising is rooted in her belief in access to higher education and support for all students. Peterson鈥檚 dual roles of 91爆料 undergraduate academic adviser and have allowed her to witness firsthand the discrepancy between societal narratives of equity in access to higher education versus the lived reality. Peterson sums up the goal of the Path project as 鈥渟upporting students who are furthest from educational justice.鈥�
Peterson explains, 鈥淧eople assume that everybody has the same access to being able to apply to and be competitive and successfully enter into a four-year institution. But realistically, a lot of students are not even given a chance because of barriers, because of funding.鈥�
Many students who Peterson and her fellow advisers support are navigating numerous unseen barriers that impact educational access, from funding and financial responsibilities, familial obligations, limited resources of time and even wider community responsibilities.
Knowledge and understanding of these intersections of systems help advisers apply holistic approaches to their work. Advisers help students understand the university system so they are better prepared to move through it. Identifying each student’s personal educational goals and dreams, advisers can accompany them with opportunities, information and tools so that they may realize them. Peterson additionally helps students efficiently connect to 91爆料 units, and she partners closely with directors and staff in 91爆料 resources.
As the Path to 91爆料 continues into its second year, advisers will walk alongside them, checking in to learn, 鈥淲hat are the students’ influences or family impacts on their decisions? What timelines do they need to be on? Where have they felt seen or unseen in representation? Do they feel safe and able to participate in certain programs?鈥� For Peterson, learning the answers to these questions enables her to better understand the student in front of her and is fundamental to her practice of advising.
Honors Director Vicky Lawson prepares for next adventure
After more than three decades of service to the 91爆料, Vicky Lawson will retire at the end of the academic year. Lawson, professor of geography and poverty researcher, has spent the past eight years directing the , contributing to the deepening of its interdisciplinary focus and approach to intentional community building, innovative thinking and global citizenship.
Lawson is past president of the Association of American Geographers and former chair of the Department of Geography. Having worked across South and North America on informal economies, women鈥檚 work and poverty, her classes focus on the intersections of poverty, inequality and feminist care ethics. In addition to her leadership in the Honors Program, she is co-director of the , a global research network that aims to expand thinking about the causes of poverty in both rich and poor countries. During her tenure at the 91爆料, she has served as adjunct professor in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies and as a faculty affiliate of the West Coast Poverty Center.
As Lawson prepares to pass the role of Honors Program director to Stephanie Smallwood, she shares her thoughts on her accomplishments as director, the transformation of undergraduates through the interdisciplinary program, and the enduring impact of the Honors Program.
Honors broadened my view
How has the Honors Program most impacted and changed you?
With a 35-year career in the geography department and College of Arts and Sciences, coming over to Honors changed my perspective on undergraduate education and the University as a whole. Honors broadened my view of the University, in terms of who holds the University up and how, and in terms of the breadth of interests and capacities of students from all across the University. Honors spans the entire campus [and includes] students, instructors and classes from every college. It was a new vantage point for me of the brilliance of students regardless of what corner of campus or what background they come from.
I teach a class on houselessness and one particular student from aeronautics engineering made a profound contribution to an art exhibit my students installed with Real Change News through a comparative historical photography project of Seattle. It was a wakeup call for me to realize that it’s not just geographers who know how to read a city.
In addition to appreciating the breadth and curiosity of the students, coming over to UAA was coming into a space that is driven by professional staff. I came to appreciate just how staff hold up the University and how much they contribute. Getting to work closely with incredibly talented staff was a real gift because you see the commitment and the depth of the work they do. In Honors, all the staff are leaders. It’s a super creative space.
A deep commitment to inviting in the students
How has the Honors Program changed in the past eight years?
It was already an incredibly innovative, complex, interdisciplinary space when I got here. I don’t take a lot of credit for the brilliance of this program. I just came in and tried to amplify and support what the staff were already doing. These were things that were already happening, but we have been deeply introspective about difference and intersectional equity in our program. Honors has evolved tremendously over its , especially over the past two decades. has been a leader on this work, but everybody’s been involved in understanding who our students are and where they come from. We have been committed to bringing in first-generation students and students of color and understanding how we’re doing compared to the University as a whole. We have a lot more work to do, but we do have a deep commitment to inviting in students who saw the label 鈥淗onors鈥� and thought, 鈥淲ell, that’s not a space for me.鈥� Instead [we] invite them to know that, actually, participating in Honors is being part of an education that honors the University. Everybody鈥檚 backgrounds, experience and knowledge brings brilliance. It’s been a major part of what we’ve been doing. Juliana has led on it, and everybody has leaned in very seriously on that work.
Interdisciplinary education, experiential learning, and being in community
Another area that I’m particularly personally proud of in Honors is this incredibly creative space that has always rested on pillars of interdisciplinary education, experiential learning and being in community. I wanted to invite the whole campus into this space with our students, and one of the ways that we did that was through our . We built an annual event that puts people from different walks of life in conversation with each other and asks them to talk about an issue that students themselves raised. We pull the freshmen in and say, 鈥淲hat do you care about? What is keeping you up at night?鈥� We’ve done this now since 2015. Each year we’ve filled a ballroom with 500 people and we’ve hosted the event online with hundreds of people. By asking the students what they want us to talk about, we put the students in charge of their education the minute they walk through the door. Honors students learn that, at 91爆料, we listen to them, that we build the program around their interests. At Global Challenges, they get to see what it’s like to have three people who are very accomplished in their fields, in a humble conversation about a really big topic for which there is no simple answer. That’s an example of showing the larger community what Honors is all about, what our students are all about, what our pedagogy is all about.
We are building that broader, richer sense of who we are and why we do what we do and inviting everybody. We are building something that’s for everyone.
What is the impact you’ve witnessed of interdisciplinary research?
One of the things that Honors did was create a space where I could literally teach my driving passion. In my research, I had a long-standing relationship with along with , my collaborator. Each year in Honors I’ve taught a class on poverty and houselessness. A couple of years ago, we did a deep dive with Real Change News as collaborators to bring the portrait project to campus. I gave the students the responsibility to curate the exhibit to run for three weeks and build a launch event in the Allen Library. Twenty-five students collaborated together on every aspect of bringing that exhibit to campus, they collaborated with our Real Change News colleagues who were at the core of the project. Many of the students who were involved have come back to me to talk about where that experience took them.
Students will rise to any challenge
This morning, I sat with a student applying to medical school, who was in another iteration of that same class. She talked about how doing medicine was one thing, but thinking about it through the lens of social justice, access, historical racism and how that shapes who has access to care, was transformative for her. She understood that in a deep way because she’d been part of that class. I create a class space where the students teach each other and they pick up and carry that work and take it to places that are important to them.
This last quarter I had a group of students create a zine, called , in collaboration with homeless youth in the U District. It is full of incredible art, essays, cartoons and drawings. The students did the work of assembling this art aimed at elevating the voice of homeless youth, about their ideas of what the future could look like. This was a chance for our students to collaborate with the youth and to elevate their vision, their brilliance and their ideas. I’ve come to realize working with our students that, literally, they will rise to any challenge. They will mount an art exhibit, they’ll create a zine, they will do collaborations that are deep, they will face up to the impossibly difficult questions of climate change and poverty, and houselessness.
It鈥檚 been transformative for me working with these students.
How do you see the impact of the Honors Program on the students as they graduate?
What we’re trying to do and what we’ve really committed ourselves to with Honors, is to support the students to complicate their ideas and work, and to be brave about it. So if they think they’re going to do medicine, can we work with them to think about what it means to be a doctor? What does it mean to be a doctor that cares about social justice? How do we invite students into spaces in a way that is actually enabling? That鈥檚 what Honors classes do. And the students take the work places we never thought of. I have students that worked for the , a student who’s up in Skagit County as an organic farmer, students at Harvard, students in medical school, a student working on climate change activism. They learn that they can be brilliant in any number of different ways.
We have brought together a community
What鈥檚 something that comes to the forefront that you are very proud about?
I am proud of how we’ve connected to broader communities 鈥� and gets credit here. We have worked hand in glove to bring together a community of alumni. We’ve built an advisory board that leans in and shows up. We have built financial and moral support for this program at a level that did not exist when we came in. We have an endowed . We built an endowed that’s still growing. It’s about people believing in us and people in the community really reaching in and supporting what we do. And we’ve got an incredible group of volunteers now. We just had the most successful Husky Giving Day which is less about the money and more about the fact that over 70 people thought Honors was special enough to make a gift. I feel really proud of how we’ve expanded our community with people who deeply care and want to support our students because of how they think and what they mean to the future.
What are you most excited about with the next adventure?
I’m excited about not being busy! I鈥檝e always been on a mission to be an academic and teach. I’m very curious what life has to offer if I’m not doing those things. I’m curious about what my next chapter is going to be and I don’t think I’m going to really truly know that until I stop. I am quite sure it’s going to continue to have to do with activism around impoverishment and houselessness. There are a lot of things I think about and wonder what my skills might do to make an impact. I do know that I’m going to grow a garden. I’m going to travel and I’m going to raise a horse and train it.
Any last thoughts?
I came into Honors and I realized that this is where the work is. Undergraduate education, especially at a public university, is the place that I believe you can have the most impact. Undergraduate students have infinite paths open to them. Honors has redoubled my commitment to undergraduate education as a place of praxis and place of personal and professional transformation that’s really important. The staff in Honors are just quite remarkable and they taught me every day what is possible in undergraduate education for life.
Undergraduate education is the place I believe you can have the most impact.
Stephanie Smallwood named director of Honors Program
Congratulations to Stephanie Smallwood, acclaimed professor and historian, who has been appointed the new director of the , officially beginning her term in September, 2022.
The University Honors Program, , serves as an academic core of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, bringing students and faculty from every corner of campus together for original learning opportunities focused on collaborative, cross-disciplinary curriculum, experiential learning, research and critical reflection.
In the past eight years under the direction of geography professor and poverty researcher, Victoria Lawson, the Honors Program has contributed to the deepening of its interdisciplinary focus and approach to intentional community building, innovative thinking and global citizenship. As Lawson prepares to retire from the 91爆料, she expresses admiration for Honors鈥� incoming director, stating: 鈥淚 am a huge fan of Dr. Smallwood and I am confident she will love leading within this community, as I have.鈥�
Fostering collective and diverse brilliance
Honors by the numbers听
The 91爆料 Honors Program facilitates Interdisciplinary, College and Departmental Honors for over 1,400 undergraduates annually.
83% of Honors students come from public high schools.
100+ 91爆料 majors represented by Honors students and faculty.
70% say Interdisciplinary Honors admission is a top reason they chose the 91爆料.
Smallwood says she鈥檚 excited by the Honors Program鈥檚 trajectory and sees great opportunities to continue expanding this interdisciplinary educational hub at our public research university. Smallwood鈥檚 vision of fostering collective and diverse brilliance aligns with the program鈥檚 long arc toward education that centers public needs and un-siloed, collaborative inquiry.
鈥淚nterdisciplinarity informs my scholarship, my mentoring, my teaching, and informs everything I do,鈥� shared Smallwood. A narrow singularly disciplinary lens cannot adequately approach the questions which animate her work, or the questions that remain most urgent and pressing to our society today.
鈥淯ndergraduate Academic Affairs is a unit devoted to changing lives of students by deepening their 91爆料 experience,鈥� shares Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor. 鈥淪tephanie Smallwood has the vision, knowledge and experience to move the program and experience of students into a future that is much in need of their potential to help make the world better.鈥�
Guiding students in intellectual exploration
Smallwood is an associate professor in the , where she holds the Dio Richardson Endowed professorship, and she has a joint appointment in the . She has devoted the past 15 years at the 91爆料 to undergraduate teaching and mentorship on the histories of slavery, race and colonialism in the early modern Atlantic world. Guiding students in their exploration of the challenging problems that have profoundly shaped our world remains as fresh and rewarding for her today as when she began her career as a teacher-scholar nearly 25 years ago.
Her book 鈥溾�� (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007) was awarded the 2008 Frederick Douglass Book Prize; the award for best book written in English on slavery or abolition by the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University; and was a finalist for the 2008 First Book Prize of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians.
“The 91爆料 is so fortunate that Professor Stephanie Smallwood has accepted a three-year term as director of the Honors Program. Professor Smallwood is a prize-winning historian, gifted teacher and exemplary University citizen. She will bring her gifts of shrewd analysis, excellent judgment and visionary leadership to this position,鈥� shared Glennys Young, chair of the Department of History.
A history story
Smallwood鈥檚 interest in history began as an undergraduate at Columbia University, stemming from her involvement in anti-apartheid demonstrations. In 1985, on the anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Smallwood demonstrated in a domestic divestment campaign. When camping out on the steps of an administrative building for three weeks was followed by a summer of disciplinary hearings, she was led directly toward learning more about the history behind the political actions she found herself engaging in.
For the first time in her life, Smallwood began to read African history 鈥� and found herself blown away. She spent the last two years of her undergraduate studies taking graduate-level seminars. 鈥淚 knew then that history was what I wanted to do and study,鈥� said Smallwood. Under the mentorship of , she was guided towards an interdisciplinary M.A. in African and African-American studies at Yale University.
Smallwood became a research assistant to renowned historian , who was beginning to examine the 17th- and 18th-century slave trade. During days spent in the Yale library鈥檚 microfilm room, Smallwood poured over newspapers from 17th century Maryland and Virginia, reading the announcements of arrivals of slave ships. Her time there would prove to be invaluable, as she began to piece together the literal connections between African and African-American history. 鈥淚t was the first time, that past, that period, was animated for me intellectually,鈥� she said. Transcended beyond just responding to contemporary politics, she sought out to study the entire expanse of Black history. Smallwood would go on to earn her Ph.D. in early African-American history at Duke University.
鈥淚 am incredibly excited to see Professor Smallwood鈥檚 leadership and inclusionary vision applied to the Honors Program as its community continues to grow and build connections across campus. Her support and encouragement enabled us students to reach our full potential and I know she will do the same for the many students who come under her guidance as she takes on the role of director,鈥� shared Erin Nicole Kelly, senior.
The role imagination plays
The interdisciplinary impact of her studies and research have informed the lens for all of her ongoing research, leadership and publications. Smallwood recognizes that a key component of the role of a historian is to imagine. 鈥淭he fact of the matter is that historians have to imagine, to tell stories.鈥� She cites the fiction of novelist Toni Morrison as being in relationship and conversation with her historical research. 鈥淲e have to be able to use the gifts that only a Toni Morrison can bring to the table, to guide us in how to dare to imagine. You can鈥檛 ask good questions if you can鈥檛 imagine outside of the box,鈥� Smallwood said.
Smallwood connects the value of the Honors Programs to its interdisciplinary imagination. A program that curates small classes and dynamic curriculum where students experience, as she describes, 鈥渢he freedom of when you’re not already locked into a particular methodology or a set of rules that govern a particular discipline.鈥�
Her recent experiences teaching the classes, Honors Historical Method and Race and Slavery Across the Americas, have served Smallwood as continued affirmations of what鈥檚 possible in intimate learning environments. 鈥淜nowledge production happens best when we put different disciplinary methods in relationship to one another,鈥� she shared. 鈥淥ften our best and most innovative learning happens in collaboration.鈥�
Our best learning happens in collaboration
Smallwood remains continually fueled and reinvigorated as an educational collaborator and mentor. Facilitating class experiences for undergraduates to engage in intellectual discovery and risk taking, Smallwood is focused on new approaches to learning that can meaningfully advance a social justice mission.
Smallwood sees her appointment as director of the Honors Program as an honor within itself. She intends to use her skills and background of scholarship and teaching in a public research university to serve students and boost their capacity to imagine, contribute and make change. 鈥淭o be at a public research institution like the 91爆料 means you鈥檙e in a community of extraordinary scholars with extraordinary resources,鈥� said Smallwood. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best possible combination of what it takes to be a scholar and for the largest impact you can have on reaching and touching people.鈥�
Welcome, Stephanie Smallwood!
Celebrating the 2020鈥�21 Undergraduate Medalists
From the thousands of undergraduate students at the 91爆料, three are selected each year for the prestigious President鈥檚 Medalist Award.
Piper Coyner, Olivia Brandon and Catherine Chia are the medalists for 2020鈥�21, selected by a committee for their high GPAs, rigor of classes and numbers of Honors courses. All three are students in the University , completing the Interdisciplinary Honors track.
Each medalist has carved a unique path at the 91爆料, but they鈥檙e united in their passion for their chosen areas of study, ranging from neuroscience to anthropology to film studies. They鈥檙e also dedicated to giving back to the community, in both their extracurricular activities and their post-graduation career plans.
The students will be recognized by University President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards at a special reception, where each recipient will receive their medal in front of family, friends and mentors.
Read on to learn how these exceptional students embody the Husky Spirit.
Piper Coyner, junior medalist
Majors: Near Eastern studies鈥搇anguages and cultures; cinema and media studies
Hometown: Olalla, WA
The moment Piper Coyner learned that the 91爆料 had a Near Eastern studies major, she knew she wanted to become a Husky. Since childhood, her dream had been to study the Middle East 鈥� and she was thrilled she could do it so close to home.
At the 91爆料, Coyner has been able to dive into many aspects of Middle Eastern culture, history and language, studying Persian and Arabic. She has also discovered a second major in cinema and media studies, thanks to her involvement with the 91爆料 Film Club, where she leads a team of 20 writers. When she鈥檚 not exploring a canon of classic films or writing reviews, she鈥檚 an avid reader who enjoys contemporary fiction and history.
Whether focused on the screen or the pages of a book, Coyner takes inspiration from 鈥渟tories of perseverance and self-sacrifice, of people caring deeply for others and making change in the world.鈥� It鈥檚 with this model of making a difference that she hopes to attend law school after graduation.
For Coyner, who was also recognized in 2020 as a freshman medalist, this award is an important validation of her passion for and pursuit of the humanities.
鈥淚 often compare myself unfavorably to those in STEM and buy into the narrative that my work is not as important,鈥� Coyner says. 鈥淭his award shows me that鈥檚 not true 鈥� that students who study arts, cultures and languages are just as valued.鈥�
Olivia Brandon, sophomore medalist
Majors: Neuroscience and public health鈥揼lobal health
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Olivia Brandon became fascinated with the study of human physiology during an introductory survey class 鈥� and that has shaped her 91爆料 journey.
Realizing her true passion, she packed her schedule with chemistry, biology and global health classes. She landed on neuroscience after learning about brain pathology as a research assistant in 91爆料 Medicine鈥檚 Neonatal Neuroscience Lab.
In her research role, Brandon works closely with 91爆料 faculty to help develop treatments for babies at risk for encephalopathy. 鈥淏eing able to ask a scientific and medical question, create the database, extract the necessary variables, analyze the data and convey the information has sparked the scientist in me,鈥� she says. Later this spring at the 2022 Pediatric Academic Societies medical conference, she plans to present a research project she spearheaded.
Inspired by her lab mentors and her physician parents, Brandon plans to attend medical school after graduation.
鈥淚 hope to become a physician who has an impact on improving people鈥檚 health, but I also want to be an advocate for improving equity in global and public health systems,鈥� says Brandon, who is also majoring in public health鈥揼lobal health. During her first year at the 91爆料, Brandon gave a TedX talk about the importance of addressing global issues like climate change.
As an animal lover, Brandon is also president of the 91爆料 equestrian team and has raised funds and volunteered for an equine rescue and rehabilitation center.
Catherine Chia, freshman medalist
Hometown: Redmond, WA
Majors: Biochemistry, neuroscience and anthropology
Catherine Chia got a firsthand look at the 91爆料鈥檚 Seattle campus 鈥� and its many opportunities 鈥� when her older brother became a Husky. That glimpse helped shape her decision to attend the 91爆料.
With a goal of attending medical school, she found herself naturally drawn to studying biochemistry and neuroscience.
鈥淚 love the mechanistic nature of both subjects, where I can learn to look for sources of a disease from the tiniest mechanisms of the body,鈥� explains Chia, who is balancing her two science majors with anthropology. That subject serves as 鈥渁n important reminder that innovation and development should always be aimed at helping others.鈥�
Outside the classroom, she鈥檚 an undergraduate research assistant in Prof. Jonathan Posner鈥檚 lab, which is developing a diagnostic test for hepatitis C. The supportive community of the lab has built Chia鈥檚 confidence as a scientist and made her feel more at home at the 91爆料.
Chia鈥檚 volunteer work includes helping elementary school students develop reading skills, leading summertime science activities at the Pacific Science Center and mentoring her fellow students in the 91爆料 Honors Program. As a future physician, Chia hopes to improve people鈥檚 lives in a holistic way. She鈥檚 passionate about rectifying education disparities and plans to continue volunteering in learning spaces.
鈥淩eceiving this honor is not just for me,鈥� Chia says, 鈥渂ut also for everyone who has been there for me along the way.鈥�
15 Seconds at a Time: The Resilience Lab [video]
In this video, 91爆料 Resilience Lab Director Megan Kennedy takes on the challenge of explaining the Resilience Lab in less than 15 seconds at a time.
Connecting, belonging, being well: Across UAA, programs welcome back students
The pack is back! For the first time since the transition to mostly virtual learning in March 2020, Huskies are crossing Red Square on their way to class. These Dawgs include two classes who are completely new to campus: incoming first-year students and second-year students, in addition to upperclassmen who鈥檝e spent more than 18 months away from campus.
Student well-being is top of mind as programs across Undergraduate Academic Affairs are welcoming back our students. This work involves building community so students feel connected and a sense of belonging. It鈥檚 recognizing and addressing the increased stresses students may be experiencing as a result of the pandemic and the transition back to in-person learning. It鈥檚 programs incorporating resilience and mindfulness work to give students the tools to care for their mental health. It鈥檚 the dedication to meeting students where they are at. Programs are also maintaining some virtual programmatic offerings this year to increase students鈥� access to services. Read on to learn more about how programs throughout Undergraduate Academic Affairs are orienting and supporting students this autumn.
Academic Support Programs: An academic home away from home
Academic Support Programs are free and available for all students. See the CLUE tutoring schedule, , online academic resources, and schedule a meeting with an academic success coach .
Academic Support Programs runs CLUE, the largest late night, multidisciplinary tutoring center at the 91爆料, and Academic Success Coaching, individualized meetings with a peer coach to develop skills for academic success.This year they are expanding these programs to reach more students in new and innovative ways.
CLUE: Tutoring center creates a sense of community
When Academic Support Programs Director Ryan Burt asked this year鈥檚 CLUE tutors why they were interested in becoming tutors, many shared that last year鈥檚 virtual CLUE was a space where they came to be together to navigate all that was happening around them. CLUE remains focused on creating a similar sense of community to the tutoring space for the 2021-22 school year. Student tutors play a big role in setting a welcoming tone, which starts with their own self-reflection.
In the autumn quarter training class Burt co-teaches with CLUE Program Manager Lizzy Harman, tutors check in about their own experiences returning to campus. They talk about how to navigate social and emotional challenges that they and other students might be experiencing. They focus on language and strategies to develop resilience and a growth mindset, both for themselves and the students they tutor. This emphasis on their mental state is intentional. When people are in a stressed state, it can be hard to focus on one鈥檚 studies or work. These weekly class sessions happen right before CLUE opens, preparing tutors to take a holistic approach to their work. This allows them to create a calm, safe and supportive space and helps them guide students to stay motivated as challenges or setbacks arise.
This year, CLUE is offering tutoring both in-person and virtually. Both spaces are busy; tutors quickly switch between leading tutoring tables in the Mary Gates Hall Commons and leading online sessions. This hybrid approach increases students鈥� access to tutoring: Some students don鈥檛 want or are unable to stay on campus late, live too far away from campus to come back for evening tutoring, or want to limit exposure to others.
Academic Success Coaching: Setting goals and making plans to reach them
Academic Success Coaching Manager Alli Bothello oversaw the expansion of the Academic Success Coaching program, expanding from eight coaches last year to 14 coaches this year. Coaching sessions are open-ended and guided by what is on the student鈥檚 mind. Conversations can range from time management and study strategies to concern over disappointing test results 鈥� 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 do well on my first test; now I鈥檒l never get into my major鈥︹�� to topics beyond academics. The coaches work with each student to guide them through these experiences, with a goal of helping students find resources, develop ways to move forward from setbacks and set and reach their goals. Coaches are available to meet at whatever frequency the student needs, be it weekly, quarterly or as needs arise. They are also hosting workshops on developing effective study strategies, time management, self-care and building a community, and finals exam prep.
Academic Support Programs are free and available for all students. See the CLUE tutoring schedule, upcoming study skills workshops, online academic resources, and schedule a meeting with an academic success coach on their website.
First Year Programs: Building community and wayfinding through the 91爆料
Cornerstones of First Year Programs鈥� (FYP) work are helping students learn about campus resources, build their community and understand how to navigate the 91爆料. This work is rooted in the knowledge that students who feel connected to campus socially and academically are more likely to persist through college and earn their degree.
First-year networks: Connecting Huskies with similar lived experiences and interests
First-year networks are social groups run by peer leaders. The 14 networks鈥� themes range from shared interests, including mindful-living, foodies, to shared identities, such as East Asian and transfer students. Students are connected through a Discord (a group chatting platform), and are invited to various events and meetups, learn about academic support programs and most importantly meet a group of students with similar interests and shared identities, helping them establish a community at the 91爆料. FYP surveyed students as they signed up for networks: 93% registered to make friends and 90% are seeking connections to students with shared interests.
First-year interest groups keep well-being at the forefront of their work
Mindfulness and self-care is incorporated into each General Studies 199 class meeting, taught by First-year Interest Group Leaders. The goals of this are to help students understand mindfulness and its benefits. They explore mindfulness activities like journaling, meditation, 3-minute dance parties and breathing exercises.
Each FIG Leader brings in a peer health educator to lead a seminar on one of four topics: mental health, coping with clouds, Sleepy Husky or physical health. The peer educators explore the science of the given topic and discuss how it connects to physical, mental and emotional health. One past participant commented, 鈥淭he mental health seminar project was important to me since the pandemic has taken a toll on me when it comes to being motivated and isolated.鈥� There is also great power in hearing peers talk about similar experiences, with another participant sharing, 鈥淏eing able to have guest speakers talk about research, mental health and admissions was extremely valuable because it gave me more understanding for how the areas work. I don’t feel alone in the process of college.鈥�
First Year Programs also has 听
Honors: Introducing a student-led mentorship program
The Honors Program鈥檚 new wellness-oriented program is student-led. Shannon Hong, a junior majoring in neuroscience, first experienced peer mentoring through the student-led . Finding it valuable, she approached Honors to start a similar program for them. The , launched this fall, creates a network of support within the Honors Program. Volunteer mentors are connected with mentees and focus to help them navigate the Honors requirements and their general Husky experience. 鈥淢y peers and I initially created the Honors Peer Mentoring Program to help students feel more supported and engaged in the Honors community,鈥� explains Hong. 鈥淏ut since then, it has grown into something bigger 鈥� a program that empowers students to become leaders and take initiative in their 91爆料 Honors experience.鈥� These mentoring relationships are available throughout the entire year.
Applications for the Honors Peer Mentoring Program winter cohort will open on January 3, 2022. to learn more.
Office of Educational Assessment: Surveying students to best meet their needs
The Office of Educational Assessment is launching Husky Check-in surveys this year. Designed to gauge student needs in real time, these twice-a-quarter surveys will focus on timely issues related to the student experience. The first survey explored how students are accessing support services, their preferences for virtual versus in-person offerings, whether where they live impacts their preference and what additional unmet needs may exist. The research team will share the results with key stakeholders across campus who can use the feedback to adapt programs to match the needs of students. The first survey launched the week of October 11, 2021; approximately 1,300 undergraduate and 400 graduate students participated.
Resilience Lab: Working towards a campus culture of compassion and mindfulness
Learn about upcoming and request copies of the .
The Resilience Lab鈥檚 work centers on promoting well-being among students, faculty and staff at the 91爆料. Their Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes and Living), a program developed in collaboration with the Center for Child and Family Well-Being, has equipped more than 100 faculty and staff members with skills and tools to foster their own wellness and that of their colleagues and students. Be REAL participants learn mindfulness skills to manage stressful emotions, strengthen self-awareness and to foster community well-being and mental health. Because of that ripple effect, Be REAL reaches people far beyond those who signed up for the 6-week course. And the reach of this work will continue to deepen. For example, some alumni of Be REAL choose to participate in a community of practice where they can ask questions and brainstorm ways to bring these ideas into their work. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really powerful to do this with colleagues,” explains Sasha Duttchoudhury, Resilience Lab graduate student assistant. 鈥淒oing this on 鈥榳ork time鈥� shows value, that the 91爆料 values our well-being.鈥�
The Be REAL faculty and staff program grew out of the student Be REAL course. The current format allows for flexibility, allowing it to be a stand-alone class or taught as part of other programs. Be REAL is also offered as a one-quarter class for students. Be REAL recently created a .
Another way the Resilience Lab is bringing well-being practices to the campus community is through the 鈥淲ell-being for Life and Learning鈥� initiative. Students, staff and faculty collaborated on this work to create a vision for the classroom as a cornerstone of well-being. The resulting guidebook is organized into four main pillars: teaching for equity and access; nurturing connections; building coping and resilience skills; and connecting to the environment. The guidebook鈥檚 appeal is wide: with programs from STEM to social sciences ordering copies.
President Cauce talks about the benefits of Be REAL in her annual address:
91爆料 News recently ran a story about the Resilience Lab鈥檚 work, including an interview with director Megan Kennedy. Read the article here.
Robinson Center: Intentionally bringing students to campus and creating community
Preparing Transition School students to come to campus for the first time began in spring 2021. Transition School principal Lisa Scott recognized that for this group 鈥� students who spend what would be their ninth grade year preparing to fully matriculate into the 91爆料 the following year 鈥� knowing their way around campus and building a community was crucial to their emotional and physical well-being. Scott developed a plan to safely bring these students to campus in May 2021. They spent the day completing a campus-wide scavenger hunt and acclimating to the campus environment. 鈥淢any parents have told me that the May Activity Day was the highlight of their student鈥檚 year,鈥� shared Scott. This group of students returned to the 91爆料 campus as first year Early Entrance Program students in autumn 2021.
To prepare Robinson Center students for the 2021-22 school year, the Robinson Center held orientations for the Early Entrance, 91爆料 Academy and Transition School students. Though each orientation was fine-tuned to meet the groups鈥� specific needs, common threads included building community, exploring campus and learning about campus resources.
Learn more about the .
Students are typically two to three years younger than most of their college peers, and student well-being programs remain a priority throughout the year. Students continue to meet with mentors and attend seminar classes on topics including majors and resources. The Robinson Center serves as a mini-HUB with places to relax, study, hangout with friends and eat outside.
When touring the space recently, an engineering colleague commented, 鈥淵ou can feel the community in this space.鈥�
Student-Athlete Academic Services: Keeping the pulse on student-athlete well-being
(SAAS) has been checking on the well-being of the 91爆料鈥檚 650 student-athletes throughout the pandemic through their regular pulse surveys. These 10-question surveys asked about what鈥檚 going well to what鈥檚 been most challenging. SAAS adjusted their programs and outreach based on the feedback they received.
Throughout the pandemic, the SAAS team also discovered new ways of serving their students: virtual counseling and virtual tutoring. Pre-pandemic, these services were exclusively offered in person. Yet the effectiveness of these online programs means the SAAS team will carry them forward. For athletes who travel to meets, games and competitions, being able to continue to access tutoring and counseling uninterrupted is hugely beneficial.
Join the team and make your own wellness commitment with this printable. Print it, write your commitment on it and post it somewhere visible to you to continue to encourage yourself.
The SAAS team saw both first- and second- year students join their orientation. This year鈥檚 focus was building community 鈥� community within the 22 teams, within the student-athlete community and the broader 91爆料 community. Activities included a campus-wide scavenger hunt to find campus resources and a barbeque with coaches and staff from around campus to help students connect to the 91爆料鈥檚 services. They also participated in the NCAA鈥檚 Mental Health Awareness Week. Students particularly embraced the wellness wall, where they anonymously wrote a commitment to personal wellness they are committing to for the 2021-22 year. Mental health services, team doctors and nutrition advising supports continue year round. In addition, SAAS provides advising, tutoring, career development, internships and academic coaching year round to best support our Husky student-athletes.
Undergraduate Research Program: Introducing undergrads to the what, why and how of research
The Undergraduate Research Program is building community within their 43 undergraduate research leaders (URLs) 鈥� student volunteers who help their peers get involved with research. Last year, the URLs spoke to more than 1,500 students about these opportunities. This work included a two-day orientation, which took a holistic approach to leadership development, with lots of time for reflection and conversation. There was an emphasis on empathy to help students slow down, reflect on the experiences of one another and and find commonalities with their own experiences. Mindfulness practices like deep breathing and other grounding exercises were included to help students center themselves.
Another key component of orientation was a diversity, equity and inclusion training on inclusivity and bias. The URLs learned about the experiences and potential barriers encountered by students from groups ranging from BIPOC students to first-gen to neurodiverse students to transfer students. Students then reflected on how this awareness will change their mindset in their work as a URL, explaining, 鈥淥ur role is not just to promote research, and generally mentor undergrads entering research, but to help others to overcome the barriers that they may be facing in even entering a lab in the first place.鈥�
The URLs are proactively thinking about ways to continue to support their peers and are pitching ideas 鈥� unprompted 鈥� to URP鈥檚 leadership team. We鈥檒l share info about these new initiatives on our social media channels as they are launched.
In addition to their URL program, the Undergraduate Research Program expanded their advising offerings to include weekly virtual advising, in-person group advising and individual drop-in advising appointments. These sessions often focus on learning how to get involved with research and answer questions like, 鈥淚鈥檓 a first-year student. Is research for me?鈥� (Answer: Yes!) Through the continued support, students grow their confidence and resilience as they navigate finding a research team and ultimately begin their research experiences.
Get involved with undergraduate research. Check the Undergraduate Research Program website for upcoming advising sessions, search for research opportunities and more.