Student-Faculty Research Projects Featured at Annual Event
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has selected the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire to host the spring 2023 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). At this annual three-day event, more than 4,000 students present scholarly research, network with peers and faculty mentors, and meet with graduate school and corporate recruiters.
CUR Executive Officer Lindsay Currie said, “The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire’s strong commitment to diverse opportunities in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry will provide an outstanding environment for NCUR attendees. The area’s many amenities will offer a congenial locale for NCUR 2023.”
UW–Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt said, “As the UW System Center of Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration for more than 30 years, we couldn’t be prouder to be named the 2023 host for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Undergraduate research is a 50-plus-year tradition for UW–Eau Claire and an integral part of who we are as a university, with more than 40 percent of our students engaging in a scholarly faculty-mentored research experience before they graduate. We can’t wait to open our campus and community to student researchers and faculty mentors from across the country for this important national event.”
This annual gathering of student scholars welcomes presenters from all higher education institutions and from all disciplines, providing a unique learning and networking opportunity. The conference has grown considerably since its inception in 1987, highlighting the increased importance of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry to institutions and employers. UW-Eau Claire has had a substantial presence at NCUR in recent years: 62 UW-Eau Claire individuals participated in NCUR 2018, and 37 UW-Eau Claire representatives participated in NCUR 2019 (placing the university among the top-20 institutions sending undergraduates to the conference).
Other upcoming hosts of NCUR include California State University, Long Beach (2021) and University of West Florida (2022).
Founded in 1978, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) focuses on providing high-quality and collaborative undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activity. Among the many activities and networking opportunities that CUR provides, the organization also offers support for the professional growth of faculty and administrators through expert-designed institutes, conferences, and a wide-range of volunteer positions. The CUR community, made up of nearly 700 institutions and 13,000 individuals, continues to provide a platform for discussion and other resources related to mentoring, connecting, and creating relationships centered around undergraduate research. CUR’s advocacy efforts are also a large portion of its work as they strive to strengthen support for undergraduate research. Its continued growth in connections with representatives, private foundations, government agencies, and campuses world-wide provides value to its members and gives voice to undergraduate research. CUR is committed to inclusivity and diversity in all of its activities and our community.
CUR focuses on giving a voice to undergraduate research with learning through doing. It provides connections to a multitude of campuses and government agencies, all while promoting networking and professional growth to its community.
The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire has served as a respected higher education institution in western Wisconsin since 1916. UW–Eau Claire has approximately 1,300 faculty and staff, and an enrollment of approximately 10,700 students pursuing courses of study selected from among more than 115 majors, minors, and graduate and certificate programs. At UW–Eau Claire, it is the goal that before graduation, every student experience at least one of the outstanding hands-on learning opportunities that set a UW–Eau Claire education apart — including faculty-student research, study abroad, internships, and domestic or international cultural immersion programs. In 2016, UW–Eau Claire received CUR’s Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments, an annual award that recognizes exemplary programs providing high-quality undergraduate research experiences.