Positioning Humanity before Progress: Students’ and Mentors’ Perceptions of the COVID-19 Impact on Undergraduate Research

One of the most important actions in research and mentoring is to adjust expectations and provide emotional support when unexpected events occur. In this article, the authors investigate the impacts of COVID-19-based campus closures on undergraduate research and the student and faculty impressions of the adjustment. Through interviews with 28 students and 17 mentors from a campus-wide undergraduate research program, common themes in the responses to COVID-related impacts were found. Students had to adjust to the type or scope of their research obligations while handling academic responsibilities, and mentors explicitly considered students’ wellbeing above expectations related to research. Providing professional development to mentors that emphasizes flexibility and compassion in the mentor-student relationship is recommended.