Dr. George Shields, professor of Chemistry at Furman University, has been selected as the 2022 Council on Undergraduate Research – Goldwater Scholars Faculty Mentor Awardee. The award consists of a plaque and $5,000 for the awardee’s research program.
Shields has been recognized for his influential mentoring abilities. In fact, four students under the chemistry professor’s guidance have won Fulbright awards and 13 became Goldwater Scholars, including five at Furman University, three of which we announced in 2021.
“George is a remarkable mentor,” said Furman University President Elizabeth Davis. “He guides his students as they develop a deep understanding of the field of chemistry and the nuances of life. He gives them a chance to find themselves and identify future careers in science. Furman is very proud to have him on our faculty.”
“Dr. Shields is an amazing mentor,” said John Mateja, President of the Goldwater Scholarship Foundation. “Since 1989 he has mentored 133 undergraduates. His mentees have received 37 national awards, including 12 Goldwater scholarships; published in leading journals like the Journal of the American Chemical Society, including as first authors; and 90% have gone on to graduate school or professional programs,” Mateja went on to say. “What is truly exceptional about George is that in addition to significantly changing the undergraduate research opportunities at the five institutions he has held faculty and administrative positions (Lake Forest College, Hamilton College, Armstrong State University, Bucknell University, and Furman University), he has had a major national impact by mentoring faculty through a consortium he created of computational chemists at primarily undergraduate institutions. In doing so, he has impacted the lives of countless undergraduates, including many students of color, students who are first-generation college, and female students.”
“The award is just a recognition of the fact that there’ve been lots of good students who’ve come through my lab, who started research early and were able to demonstrate their research aptitude as well as their high grades in order to be competitive for this fellowship,” Shields said.
Shields will be celebrated virtually at the upcoming CUR Spring Celebration on April 21, 2022, from 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET. This celebration is open to the undergraduate research community. You can RSVP here.
Joe Trimmer, emeritus professor of English at Ball State University, has been selected as the 2022 Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) – Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awardee.
Trimmer mentored hundreds of undergraduate students, including many dozen Honors College undergraduates at Ball State University. For many years and into retirement, Trimmer continued his passion for mentoring students. In a course that analyzed the literature on family history, he guided hundreds of students to create individual family portfolios based on interviews and other research. Trimmer is also a celebrated writer, known for designing his publications to inspire and deepen critical and creative thinking, writing skills, and of course, research methods and synthesis. These publications include the River Reader, a collection of expository prose geared toward modeling how writers turn empirical observation into artful and significant writing, and the composition textbooks Writing Arguments and Writing with a Purpose.
Trimmer helped found CUR’s Division of Arts and Humanities. This community continues to support undergraduate research in the areas of arts and humanities by highlighting models of success, training future mentors, and supporting current student researchers. In turn, this CUR division urged the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts to build undergraduate research into their funding programs. His work with CUR has also involved direct assistance to students doing undergraduate research. Along with his wife, Carol Trimmer, they created gifts to fund student travel to national and international conferences. Trimmer has been active in CUR for almost 20 years and served as a member of the Executive Board from 2016 to 2020.
Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Professor Joe Trimmer’s innovative interdisciplinary work and commitment to the long-standing mission of CUR has inspired undergraduate researchers and faculty members alike. His publications have provided invaluable resources for faculty and administrators wishing to nurture undergraduate research in the arts and humanities. Trimmer’s active roles within CUR, the CUR Arts and Humanities Division, the Indiana Humanities Council Board of Directors, and the National Humanities Alliance have helped to build dynamic communities supporting undergraduate research.”
The CUR-Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Award was established in 2018 through an endowed gift by 2012 CUR Fellow Joyce Kinkead (Utah State University) to nurture undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry in arts and humanities disciplines.
Trimmer will be celebrated virtually at the upcoming CUR Spring Celebration on April 21, 2022, from 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET. This celebration is open to the undergraduate research community. You can RSVP here.
John Barthell (UCO), Sunghee Lee (Iona) Honored as 2022 CUR Fellows
John Barthell (University of Central Oklahoma) and Sunghee Lee (Iona College) are the latest Fellows of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to be honored for their leadership and service as role models for those involved in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities. Every two years, CUR Fellows Awards recognize two CUR members who have facilitated undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities at their institution through mentorship and demonstrated leadership activities. Awardees receive a CUR lifetime membership; a plaque; and a Brian Andreen-CUR Student Research Fellowship to support undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities on their campus. Barthell and Lee will be celebrated during Undergraduate Research Week in a virtual celebration on Thursday, April 21, 2022.
“Drs. Barthell and Lee provide inspiration to all who participate in the important work of undergraduate research,” said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer. “They truly exemplify the spirit of leaders and mentors and have shown dedication to spreading undergraduate research at their home institutions as well as at the national level.”
Dr. John F. Barthell is currently a Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (“rotator”) program, and previously served as the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma from 2013-2020. Barthell is an accomplished scholar and former professor who, throughout his 25 years at UCO, advanced the recognition of undergraduate research efforts. From 2006 until 2019, Barthell has been the Principal Investigator of an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program based in the Republic of Turkey and Greece. In 2019, this program could claim several distinctions, including a diverse background of students, 70% of which are from underrepresented minority groups; produced 141 presentations; over 50% of the student participants came from institutions that would not be considered research intensive (including regional universities and community colleges); and 67% of underrepresented minority student participants from this program finished their undergraduate degrees and have gone to post-graduate educational programs.
Barthell’s long term commitment to students’ careers is shown through his avid work in writing hundreds of reference letters, creating momentum for their award achievements, and coauthoring 21 articles and 126 presentations with students dating back to 1995. Barthell has been recognized with various grants and awards, but he is most proud of receiving the Herbert S. Dordick Outstanding Mentor Award which was based on a nomination by one of his mentored students. Before leaving UCO, Barthell helped to restructure the Office of Research and Grants into what is now called the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and an independent unit called the Office of High-Impact Practices that focuses solely on undergraduate research. Among many other compelling accomplishments, Barthell has been involved with the CUR state Systems/Consortia and CUR Transformations NSF-funded grants. He also has served as a facilitator or consultant at 27 separate CUR-sponsored events, is currently in his fourth term as a CUR Councilor for the at-large division of CUR, and a general representative to the CUR Executive Board.
“I am incredibly grateful for this award from CUR and all that it reflects about the importance of student-centered education. Since my first experience at a CUR Institute nearly twenty years ago, I have had an unending appreciation for this organization and the many professionals who contribute to it. Being named a CUR Fellow represents the honor of my career because of the many colleagues and former students who recognized me with it,” said Barthell. “I therefore dedicate this award to all of them without whom my career in teaching, scholarship, and administration would not have been nearly as fulfilling for me nor as impactful on students.”
Said Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar, president of UCO, “John Barthell is a tireless advocate for the value of undergraduate research. He nurtures curiosity, encourages discovery, and fosters a love of lifelong learning in students. This recognition by the Council for Undergraduate Research is testament to his lifetime of dedication to both students and undergraduate research.”
A mentor to over 94 undergraduates, a recipient of numerous research and education grants including NSF-funded Research in Undergraduate Institution (RUI), Dr. Sunghee Lee is the Iona College Board of Trustees Endowed Professor in Science, and a professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department. Founder of the Iona Scholars Day (ISD) where scholarship and creative activities of students, mentored by faculty members, are shared with the college and community at large, Lee not only gave life to undergraduate research at Iona College but facilitated active participation from all corners of the campus, cultivating high quality undergraduate education through faculty-students scholarship and engaged learning experience. Lee established a research group called Project Symphony in which undergraduate students learn team cooperation, critical reasoning, problem solving, and planning skills through interdisciplinary scientific research experience. As of January 2022, Lee celebrated her students’ latest achievement of publishing a peer-reviewed education article entitled, Structural Determination of Model Phospholipid Membranes by Raman Spectroscopy: Laboratory Experiment, appearing in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, a publication of Wiley.
Lee has published 41 publications with over 70 Iona student coauthors and presented over 300 conference presentations with all student coauthors. Through nearly two decades of scientific research with undergraduates, over 75% of her mentored students have progressed to advanced degrees in Science, contributing to diverse sectors of academia and industry as future leaders. Lee has made significant inroads in making Iona’s chemistry department attain compounded successes, including acceptance from the American Chemical Society (ACS) for its BS in Chemistry Program; increasing enrollment in the chemistry/biochemistry majors by 500%; establishing two new combined degree programs; and promoting high-quality undergraduate curricula and student-faculty collaborative research with increased extramural funding. Lee received many prestigious honors and awards including The Rising Star Award by ACS Women Chemists Committee (WCC), Distinguished Scientist Award by NY ACS, and recognized by her students and fellow faculty including Br. Arthur Loftus Faculty Award for Outstanding Student Research and most recently Senior Faculty Award in 2020. Lee has demonstrated her aptitude for leadership in her department, campus-wide, and to the broader community. She serves as a member of the ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT). She is a member of the chemistry division within CUR and served two-terms as a councilor of the CUR chemistry division.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive such a significant award and I want to share this recognition with all my students past and present who made this recognition possible. Receiving this recognition from CUR is in every way a testament to the power of undergraduate research, and especially, to my students, without whom I would not be here today,” said Lee. “Their dedication to science truly propels me, and we act to motivate each other to extend the boundaries of what is known in Chemistry.”
Said Seamus Carey, Ph.D., president of Iona College, “It is my honor to congratulate Dr. Lee on this prestigious award. Dr. Lee consistently goes above and beyond in her dedication to both Iona and our students. It shows not only in the results that emanate from her lab, but also in the passion that her students bring to their work and their lives beyond the classroom. I know the best is still to come as we continue to elevate the Iona experience.”
Now in its seventh year, the AURA award draws on CUR’s Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research (COEUR), which outlines criteria for exceptional undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity programs. For AURA recognition, campuses must demonstrate depth and breadth in their undergraduate research initiatives and evidence of continual innovation. Institutions of different Carnegie classifications are considered for the award.
“The 2021 AURA recipients reflect more than exemplary undergraduate research programs,” said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer. “They demonstrate a dedication to the varying participation of students and disciplines, curriculum-based experiences, and opportunities for student-faculty recognition that even amongst this challenging and everchanging world, these universities exemplified steadfast commitment.”
Elon University, ranked among the top-100 National Universities, has built a sustainable model that expands participation and diversity in undergraduate research conducted outside of classes. Currently, Elon has reported 22% of undergraduate students and over 54% of undergraduate faculty engage in undergraduate research. Elon’s Research for Credit program demonstrates the importance of enhancing equity and inclusion in a sound undergraduate research program, but also the in-depth participation by faculty, students, and their surrounding community, shows great promise for easy adaption many colleges and universities may be looking for.
Connie Ledoux Book, president of Elon University explained, “This honor recognizes and reinforces the power of undergraduate research at Elon University, which is rooted in mentorship, discovery and personal achievement. Countless Elon students have benefited from the rich relationships developed working side-by-side with their mentors in the lab, out in the field and in the classroom. Undergraduate research continues to grow and flourish at Elon, and we’re grateful for this meaningful recognition of its important place within our university.”
With 51% of residential undergraduates participating in undergraduate research, Mercer University exemplifies what it means to support a robust undergraduate research program that spans the disciplines. The culture of service-based research, embedded in Mercer’s mission statement, was strengthened with the implementation of Research That Reaches Out, a curricular program that empowers students to address real-world problems through the integration of two high-impact practices: undergraduate research and service learning. The adaption of this program provides students with the experiences and skills required to engage in sophisticated research aimed at solving real problems faced by humanity and sets an admirable example for those colleges and universities looking for ways to connect with real world experiences.
“Undergraduate research is central to Mercer University’s commitment to experiential learning,” said William D. Underwood, president of Mercer University, “and we have a special focus on the integration of research and service. Initiatives such as Research That Reaches Out and Mercer On Mission, which pair faculty and students in our laboratories and libraries to solve pressing problems, have been key to the University’s significant expansion of undergraduate research over the last decade. We are grateful to the Council on Undergraduate Research for acknowledging Mercer as one of the country’s exemplary programs.”
Developing an undergraduate research office in 2011 to support student research and other scholarly and creative activities in all academic disciplines, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has seen over 30% of their senior student population engage in undergraduate research of some kind. The program has overcome budget restraints by thinking outside the box and creating a variety of different revenue streams for programs such as the First Year Research Exposure and Eagle Apprentice Program, which engage students within their first two years on campus with faculty mentors. Despite financial challenges during the pandemic, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse was able to maintain and grow their programs providing a model for many other campuses to follow.
“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious affirmation of UW-La Crosse’s leading role in promoting and conducting outstanding undergraduate research,” said UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow. “Our faculty, students, and staff are engaged in wonderful collaborations, and receiving this award will certainly create even greater excitement about these activities. We are very grateful to The Council on Undergraduate Research for singling out the great work being done on our campus.”
“We are committed to providing transformational research experiences and creative activities to as many students as possible including first-year students, first-generation, low income, and minority students. This award should stimulate more interest in our programs, enhancing our efforts to make our research programs sustainable through funding from generous UWL alumni and friends,” said Scott Cooper, Undergraduate Research and Creativity coordinator.
As a freshman, Mason Ward took a chance and applied to the Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program with the thought that he would give research a try. Ward wasn’t sure if research would be a major part of his collegiate career, but figured by pushing himself he would certainly learn something new.
Now, three years later, Ward’s extraordinary research portfolio has earned him two undergraduate research awards from the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Ward earned the Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology award from the Plant-Insect Ecosystem (P-IE) section of the ESA, as well as the BioQuip Products Undergraduate Scholarship from the Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity (SysEB) section.
“I really never expected any of this,” Ward said. “I’m so lucky to have such a strong support system of mentorship behind me. I’m obviously very happy to receive both honors – and appreciative of the guidance that has helped get me to where I am today.”
Ward, a senior plant sciences major in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), developed an interest in entomology during his time in the Doniphan High School FFA chapter. One of his advisors encouraged him to take part in the entomology contest – which Ward did – and quickly found a passion for identifying bugs.
“I was happy to be able to bring that passion to college,” Ward said.
Ward’s first research project as a Mizzou student, through the FRIPS Program, centered on parasitoid wasp behavior on drought-stressed hosts. He worked with Debbie Finke, director of undergraduate studies and professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology.
“When I first started looking for potential research projects, nothing really stuck out to me,” Ward said. “A lot of it was related to genetics, which I wasn’t necessarily interested in. Once I found Dr. Finke, though, I felt like there was some potential for some really cool research that fit my interests.”
Ward said that parasitoid wasps, which are considered to be beneficial because they help control many pest populations, are extremely vulnerable to drought events, as the changes in plant quality influence herbivore performance, which then affects prey availability and quality for natural enemies. Parasitoid wasp development is linked to that of their prey.
Ward’s work earned third place in the undergraduate research poster competition during Mizzou Life Sciences Week in 2019. The results from the research project were also recently published in Environmental Entomology.
“I was the only freshman to receive an award during this competition, so it was a super exciting and a major achievement for me,” Ward said.
The next year, as a sophomore, Ward briefly worked in the laboratory of Kevin Bradley, professor of plant science and technology. Ward served as a research technician and analyzed insects that were collected during pesticide trials. Heading into his junior year, Ward was named a McNair Scholar. However, after two years of research related to entomology, Ward was wondering if his passions were elsewhere.
“I had been a plant sciences major up to that point, but decided to switch to an agriculture major before my junior year,” Ward said. “I also thought that I may be interested in law school, so during my first semester as a McNair Scholar, I was pursuing law research. I found out, though, that research of that nature wasn’t really for me.”
Ward said the step back from entomology research was a positive in hindsight as it showed him how passionate he truly was about the subject matter. It also led him back to the plant sciences major.
“I had a lot of discussions while a McNair Scholar about finding the right research project,” Ward said. “Those discussions generally came to the same conclusion – you sound really passionate about entomology, why don’t you go back to that? I thought that sounded like a great idea.”
After working with Finke, Ward found another insect expert in CAFNR to work with – Robert Sites, a professor of plant science and technology. Last year as a junior, Ward worked with the family Naucoridae, known as saucer bugs or creeping water bugs. Naucoridae are predaceous aquatic insects that occur in tropical and non-tropical lotic systems across the globe. Lotic systems include all flowing inland bodies such as creeks, rivers and streams.
Within the family Naucoridae, Cheirochelinae is the only subfamily in which the development stages of the nymphs have not been described – until now.
“I was the first person to describe any of the nymphal instars in that subfamily, which is a really cool thing to be able to say,” Ward said. “This research has been so eye-opening and so, so rewarding.”
Ward will discuss his research projects in detail during Entomology 2021, the ESA’s annual meeting, which will be held in late October through early November. After presenting, Ward said he is focused on finishing his senior year strong. He will serve as Finke’s teaching assistant next semester and will graduate in May.
“Finding my niche with Dr. Finke and Dr. Sites has been super helpful,” Ward said. “Both of them have been extraordinary to work with. They have offered me such good support and continue to help guide me as I take my next steps after college.
“The research I’ve done is some of the most important work I’ve ever done in my life. I didn’t even know if I liked research or not when I began this path, so to look back at what I’ve accomplished is pretty incredible.”
Ward, who is a first-generation college student, said he plans to pursue his PhD after his time at MU with the hope of giving back and mentoring future students. He said that CAFNR’s hands-on approach to learning has been incredibly helpful for him as a student, and he hopes that he can bring that same style to future learners.
“I would love to eventually get a faculty position so that I can give back and mentor students,” Ward said. “I’m very focused on helping underrepresented minorities and members of the LGBTQ communities find their passion for science – that’s where my focus is right now. I would love to continue to research as well, but teaching is where I want to make an impact.”
Ward’s undergraduate research work showcases CAFNR’s “RISE” Initiative, which includes Research, International, Service learning and Experiential learning. Ward’s work falls under the Research section, which opens the door for undergraduate students to gain research experience throughout their time in CAFNR.
Written by: Logan Jackson, University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Please visit here to read the original article.
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) announce a new initiative to support research within the Chemical Sciences in honor of CUR’s past president and current RCSA Senior Program Director, Silvia Ronco.
The Silvia Ronco Innovative Mentor Award, established by a gift from RCSA, will recognize tenure-track faculty members within ten years of their first faculty appointment who demonstrate success in the Chemical Sciences and whose mentoring practices have supported undergraduate research. It will allow a stipend of up to $2000 per year to each recognized awardee.
RCSA President and CEO Daniel Linzer said RCSA was proud to honor Ronco’s service as CUR president in 2020-2021, which follows past contributions to fellow RCSA employees such as Brian Andreen and Mike Doyle that have been made to CUR and for enhancing undergraduate participation in science research.
“Hands-on research experience can help undergraduates discover what it really means to be a scientist instead of just learning what other scientists have done,” Linzer said. “Coupled with the guidance of a good mentor, these experiences give students the opportunity to determine if they have an interest in, and aptitude for, scientific careers, and position them well for graduate school. No matter what path they take in life, students involved in undergraduate research develop a much deeper appreciation for how science is done, how to frame questions about the unknown that can be addressed through experimentation and theory, and how to persevere through the inevitable challenges that they encounter.”
According to CUR’s executive officer, Lindsay Currie, “Silvia showed great leadership and strength during her year as CUR president, as well as friendship and understanding when the world turned upside down. Her thoughtfulness and abundance of knowledge towards the community was shown in many ways during her years of volunteer leadership at CUR. We are excited to have RCSA honor such an incredible person, and CUR member, with this award recognition and look forward to continuing this promotion of commitment to mentorship throughout the community.”
When asked her thoughts on this recognition, Silvia Ronco explained, “As an undergrad I felt valued and self-confident doing undergraduate research and being part of a dynamic research group. Without that opportunity, my career would have been very different. My mentor’s connections connected me with who became my postdoctoral mentor at the University of Notre Dame, the reason why I moved to the United States. As a faculty member, I truly enjoyed seeing the growth of undergraduate research mentees who sometimes struggled in the classroom but thrived in the research laboratory. I also enjoyed the opportunity of helping students follow their dreams, not necessarily connected with their undergraduate research projects but using the tools and experiences gained as researchers. As a program director for Research Corporation since 2003, I’m always in awe of the wonderful job the young faculty we support do with undergraduate students, not only making them feel like professionals but helping them develop a sense of belonging and purpose. It is an honor to combine both of these worlds into such an incredible opportunity and to be recognized through an award that I hope will continue to enhance undergraduate research mentorship.”
The call for applications for the 2022 Silvia Ronco Innovative Mentor Award is now currently open with a deadline of March 31, 2022. The first award will be presented during a special recognition ceremony at the ConnectUR 2022 conference.
Hundreds of general education students embarked on integrative undergraduate research that resulted in student-produced short documentary films that were highlighted in an innovative student film festival during December 2020. Talking with Dr. Eddie Boucher, educator and Assistant Professor in the Center for Integrative Studies and Social Science (ISS), and Faculty Fellow in the Hub for Innovation and Learning Technology (Hub), it is clear that the excitement and ingenuity in the course was both educator and student driven. The course took a quick turn to a remote learning environment due to the pandemic, which led to a dynamic student film festival.
The resulting film festival showcases the work. It introduces students to a panel of judges from around the country and the world who are experienced in visual storytelling, interdisciplinary teaching, and filmmaking.
Dr. Alison E. Rautman, MSU educator and Professor in the Center for Integrative Studies and Social Science, praised Boucher’s new ISS courses, which focus on DEI goals, undergraduate research, and active, team-based learning at the university. “ISS courses are large-enrollment, general education courses, and these films are a real tribute to the sophisticated interdisciplinary research being done by MSU students (mostly first-term freshmen). Top-ranked films in the film festival were made by international students and also students from historically marginalized communities. The point is that this activity allows students who normally might slip through the cracks of academia to really shine,” says Rautman.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Focus
Boucher, an educator new to MSU, was attentive to the discussions surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion that were notable from the start of President Stanley’s term over a year ago. Boucher wanted to take these into pedagogy design for his ISS courses that he developed around material culture, structural coercive powers on a global scale, and critical media study. These courses would fulfill the general education requirements for students typically in their first year at the university.
Boucher asked an important question: “How might we use gateway classes meaningfully and deliberately to bring DEI to the forefront in a project-based way, using technology to create a visual digital story?” The classes are designed to complement the conversations and experiences 18-20 year olds are already having, and to incorporate integrative studies and DEI into those experiences.
“Employers want people who can expand their thinking into other areas and perspectives and problem-solve,” says Boucher. The whole class is the project. Students chose to work independently or in teams, then selected a topic related to craft, material culture, and cultural flows. Projects could have been on any topic of interest to the student, but needed to be tied to those themes and identify the social issue and the purpose of the project. “Students were asked to do basic qualitative research, including a topical literature review and relevant interview protocols. Instead of a paper, they were instructed to make a film using iMovie or Camtasia, common apps to do basic editing,” says Boucher. The course included peer review of films-in-progress and team teaching.
COVID helped facilitate the project when the course was transferred to remote learning. Amidst the pandemic during Spring semester of 2020, students in the course were given the opportunity to take a comprehensive test over the course material or continue with their film project as initially planned. Those who continued with the documentary film project saw a marked improvement in understanding over their test-taking counterparts.
Reimagining the Student Experience
This development led Boucher to pursue the Hub Faculty Fellowship to help reimagine the next version of the course with online learning parameters. He wanted visual digital artifacts from the course that students would never forget. In Boucher’s vision, students would create new skills, build teamwork, learn interdisciplinary concepts, apply different lenses and work together to create something worth sharing on an international level, as well as with friends, family and other educators. This film festival is the culmination of students’ lived experiences through the lens of interdisciplinary studies that, when shared, have the capacity to educate and transform the view of so many others in the world around them.
Problem Solving as a Setup for Shifting Perspectives
Every student in the class is tasked with identifying a problem, drawing from their own experiences. Last year, a young woman did a film project on blighted neighborhoods in Detroit. She interviewed her neighbors and her grandmother. According to Boucher, this project was a success, in part, because local residents got a voice through the project; they were able to go on record, saying, “Everyone left, but we are still here.”
The project becomes a platform for the issue. And in some cases, the whole family becomes involved in the MSU experience, making the impact exponential. “The topics could be anything — racism, sexism, environmentalism. Students are encouraged to talk about important things and forge relationships with others that they wouldn’t in other ways outside of this project,” explains Boucher.
Documentaries that surface in Boucher’s own research are used as examples in the class to get students thinking about how to tell a problematised story. They look at the hierarchy of the process chain and how the impact is global. Boucher says he’s also learning from students every day about technology, interpersonal communication and seeing the world through 20-year-old eyes.
“Every person needs the experience where they look at a problem and need others to help solve it. It impacts everyone and we have to listen to diverse perspectives. That’s what this job does. The emergent trend in colleges and universities is moving toward integrated studies for general education. If we continue to develop dialectical and engaged activities in our ISS courses, MSU could continue as a national leader in integrative studies,” says Boucher.
Student Insight
Anna Forest, who took the Craft, Material Culture and Cultural Flows course thoroughly enjoyed the experience and complimented Boucher: “For a class of around 200 students, I felt like you were really invested in all of us as individuals. You really motivated me to put a lot of time and effort into this project.” Forest shared her view of the world from a non-sighted student perspective, gathering statistics and information with the help of a Tower Guard member from the Resource Center for Persons of Disability (RCPD). Forest’s video entitled “The Blind Leading the Blind” provides an insight into a world that so few people experience, while educating them to better engage with the visually impaired population.
“Remember this is a 19-year-old first year MSU student doing this level of work in her gateway ISS class during her first college semester — her level of critical consciousness even at this early stage is impressive in my book!” says Boucher.
Takeaway
When asked about the takeaway from this year, Boucher recommends, “Flip classes to be about doing and not merely absorbing. It has to be active and engaged. Any opportunity should be collaborative. The most precious gift that we all have is the stories that we tell — through various genres. These stories are always there. Ask someone to tell a story — if they do it and do it meaningfully, the result is amazing. Storytelling is key to what we’re doing. Stories are vulnerable and allow people to express themselves or be a steward of someone else’s story.”
Music therapy students Avery Garrett, Renata Kuswanto, Abigail Hearn, and Sidney Johnson were four of the six Georgia College students selected to present their scholarly work at the Third Annual Posters at the Capitol event. This is the second year in a row that music therapy students have represented Georgia College during this prestigious statewide event, which is organized by the PaC Steering Committee.
This year the event was held virtually through Gather, a spatial video conferencing space, which allowed students to “gather” in the Capitol and virtually descend down the rotunda steps to their poster presentation location. Although the event was virtual this year, the students remarked on the value of participating and sharing their work with others.
Music therapy was established as a profession in 1950, however, many people are unaware of the therapeutic benefits of music. Therefore, music therapy training includes learning how to advocate for the profession. The Capitol event provided a platform for practicing this skill. Junior music therapy student, Abby Hearn, commented, “I felt proud knowing that I was advocating for our profession. My favorite moment was when a state legislator came to my poster and started asking me a bunch of insightful questions… That encounter made me realize I am making a difference by educating people about the profession.”
Music therapy faculty, Susan Craig, echoed this sentiment. She explained, “they [the students] are able to have a meaningful conversation with the representatives and they are also able to explain the importance of music therapy in the community”. Susan Craig and fellow faculty, Katie Whipple, mentored these students through a junior level music therapy practicum course where students collected observational data using a single case study design. The students provided music-based interventions with clients, in a virtual setting, to improve specific skill areas including expressive communication and self-esteem. The students evaluated the data and several saw improvements in their clients.
It is this type of engaged learning that draws students to Georgia College. Senior music therapy student, Avery Garrett, commented, “part of what drew me to Georgia College was the opportunity for undergraduate research. With small class sizes and involved faculty members, I have had the opportunity to develop and conduct my own research study. This process began my first year”. Junior music therapy student, Sidney Williams, acknowledged the excellent opportunity the Posters at the Capitol event provided. Williams stated, “Posters at the Capitol will no doubt help me to achieve future research goals, as the experience has continued to shape my academic ambitions and love for undergraduate research.
Junior music therapy and international student, Renata Kuswanto, shared this view with Johnson. Kuswanto believed the event “built my self-esteem to be courageous and believe in my potential”. The event would not be possible without the hard work of the PaC Committee and the Georgia Undergraduate Research Collective, including the work of Dr. Doreen Sams, Dr. Jordan Cofer, and Dr. Hasitha Mahabaque.
Samantha Good is graduating from Vancouver Island University (VIU) with an accomplishment few anthropologists achieve in their lifetime – unearthing a two-million-year-old skull belonging to an early human ancestor.
Good, who graduates with a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Anthropology this June, discovered the fossil, one of the best-preserved Paranthropus robustus specimens known to science, while she was attending the Drimolen Field School of Palaeoanthropology and Geoarchaeology in 2018. The excavation site was at the Drimolen Palaeocave System within the Cradle of Humankind, located northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa.
“It was all chance,” says Good. “ My designated square was in an elevated alcove behind a wall of breccia, a type of conglomerate rock known for being fossil bearing. I was excavating at the exact right time because as the breccia decalcifies, the fossils become surrounded by loose sediment rather than encased in rock.”
To get to her excavation section, nicknamed The Fridge because it was so cold due to the shade, Good had to crawl up a rock face. She spent several days without discovering a single fossil and field school organizers offered to move her because the site appeared sterile, but Good loved the solitude and wanted to continue working it.
Then all of a sudden Good saw a canine. She knew the canine belonged to a primate, but didn’t know if it was a hominin, a group consisting of modern humans.
“Then there were two molars that were clearly attached to a maxilla [the bone that forms the upper jaw] and I knew this was something really special. I called someone over and my suspicions were confirmed,” says Good. “It’s really hard not to sound like a cliché when talking about finding it – touching a piece of humanity’s collective history. It’s like what you think, but no one tells you that it is also terrifying and there’s an adrenaline rush.”
The skull was fragile and in danger of falling apart so to remove it from the ground they had to use paraloid, an adhesive agent that dries clear and is often used in archaeological reconstruction. After it was glued together the field school team brought it back to camp and PhD student Jesse Martin, who specializes in cranial morphology and reconstruction and was also taking part in the field school, painstakingly removed the remaining sediment and put it together.
“I was allowed to stay at camp for a couple of days after the excavation and help him with that, which is the greatest anatomy lesson you’ll ever get,” says Good.
Good was asked if she wanted to name the skull, categorized as DNH 155, after anyone. Since she found it on Father’s Day she dedicated the skull to her father, Ian. She was included in most of the process of excavating and assembling the skull, which Good says is a rare opportunity for an undergraduate student.
Good says one interesting fact about the skull was that the nasolacrimal ducts, also known as tear ducts, of the skull were preserved, which is rare.
“It implies that Paranthropus robustus could cry, which is incredibly cool and humanizing,” says Good.
In addition to finding the fossil, Good was a contributing author on a research paper published last November in Nature Portfolio called Drimolen cranium DNH 155 documents microevloution in an early hominin species. Good is currently evaluating her options and is planning to pursue a master’s degree in the future.
Written by: Rachel Stern, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University Please visit here to read the original article.
