When President John B. Simpson took office at UB, he pledged a greater commitment to research, and The Faculty Senate Executive Committee appears to be pursuing that goal by supporting the creation of a Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowship during a meeting Wednesday.
According to officials, the office will provide a centralized location, on the ground floor of Capen Hall, for information about undergraduate research opportunities all across campus.
"The majority of research universities offer some form of an undergraduate research experience to their students," said Timothy Tryjankowski, the program's coordinator. "Currently there is not a centralized office that connects the research with the undergraduate student."
Tryjankowski said there are limited opportunities and limited recognition for the research accomplished on campus, and he wants to increase awareness.
"The tracking of these opportunities, and the celebration of their success is limited on our campus," he said. "Undergraduate students will have a centralized location that will avail research opportunities and possibilities to them, as well as link them with existing programs and fellowship possibilities."
"Faculty and departments will have an additional resource that will allow them to post opportunities, monitor progress and tout results," he added.
To build the center, current research opportunities will be integrated into the process.
"Established programs will be contacted to see if the center can enhance the services they currently offer, or assist in how tracking can be maintained or improved," Tryjankowski said.
Tryjankowski said the key to the center's success will be in the extent of faculty involvement, and he outlined several steps professors can take in order to reach out to undergraduates.
"Please allow us to assist you in recruiting talented students, verifying their work, and acknowledging the efforts of both the students and the faculty," he said.
Tryjankowski pointed to a program started at the University of Michigan, where students are trained how to perform undergraduate research when they arrive, and then are paid to train incoming freshmen when they become juniors and seniors.
"Assist in nurturing your rising stars," Tryjankowski said. "Encourage grant applications, the pursuit of fellowship opportunities, graduate studies at UB, extol the virtues of your profession."
"There needs to be a culture change campus-wide," he added.
Tryjankowski also questioned UB's research focus altogether. He said different universities have several definitions of the term, and UB needs to develop its own.
"Can research truly be defined, or is each situation, each scenario, unique?" he asked at the meeting.
Tryjankowski suggested creating a review panel to review individual cases and establish a better definition of research at UB.
"Each opportunity to work with a faculty member toward a discovery, toward a new question, is an opportunity for academic growth," he said.
