The Undergraduate Research program is the prime example of the University of St. Thomas’s mission to “educate students to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, and competent, ethical professionals.”

More than any other academic undertaking, research encourages and cultivates critical thinking skills. It teaches students, through practical experience, how to interpret and apply the results of their inquiries. Students also learn which results are relevant and which results are faulty. Students learn to approach all knowledge with a purposeful skepticism until a result—the Truth—is discovered.

Students who receive funding from the Undergraduate Research Committee (URC) present their research at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Some even go on to present their work in other venues, including regional and national meetings of various academic and professional societies. Students must be prepared and knowledgeable enough to not only present the results of their research, but also to defend those results amid questions from their peers and the faculty. They must communicate the information effectively.

Finally, the underlying purpose of undergraduate research is to prepare students for the professional world—public, private, or academic. Experience with the research tools and practices of their discipline gives them firsthand knowledge and makes our graduates more competitive in the marketplace. Research also teaches students respect for the precepts of honesty and professional ethics.

Faculty and students collaborate equally on undergraduate research projects. The research and its products are of the highest quality. This collaboration represents the ultimate scholarly activity: inquiry and analysis of results in a collaborative atmosphere.

Student engagement and active learning are integral elements of undergraduate research. Students work one-on-one with faculty mentors, and are given the freedom to perform research that they otherwise would not have the opportunity to conduct. By its very nature, research is an active process rich in learning and the acquisition of knowledge.

Students also have the opportunity to use vital and up-to-date equipment and technology through their research. Advanced computer programs and laboratory equipment provide students with the fundamental experience and comfort in conducting all aspects of research, regardless of the field. These are the same tools they will experience as they move on to graduate studies or professional careers.

The quality of instruction in the Undergraduate Research program is proportionate to the quality of the St. Thomas faculty, who guide student researchers in their endeavors. The University of St. Thomas has some of the most dedicated and involved faculty in academia. And with a student-to-teacher ratio of 14:1, St. Thomas professors are skilled at working closely with individual students. Eighteen different faculty members served as mentors to students submitting undergraduate research proposals during the 2005-2006 academic year, and all of these faculty-mentors possessed the terminal degree in their field. The level of student and faculty participation in the St. Thomas Undergraduate Research program has increased each year of its existence.

As an early proponent of undergraduate research, St. Thomas has established a naturally innovative pedagogy as a fundamental element to its undergraduate curriculum. UST has been at the leading edge of the national undergraduate research movement.

The vibrancy of the undergraduate research curriculum is apparent in its inclusiveness. Students use all of their skills and education when conducting research. Obviously, familiarity with a particular field’s intricacies, terminology, and tenets contributes greatly to a successful research endeavor, and that familiarity is the result of a student’s major in a particular field. Of equal importance are the ability to communicate clearly both in writing and orally, critical thinking skills, interdisciplinary cooperation, internalization of ethical principles, and a natural spirit of inquiry. These traits are all the result of a student’s entire undergraduate experience, in and out of class.

In his popular article, Undergraduate Research: Showcasing Young Scholars, David W. Chapman, Professor of Communication at Samford University, compares undergraduate research experiences to role-playing. “I mean no disparagement of the research -- role-playing is a critical part of life,” Chapman writes. “Children learn how to be adults in part by trying on grown-up clothes and imitating a parent who is, say, driving a car or vacuuming a rug. Similarly, undergraduates can learn the conventions of research through imitation and practice.”

The very purpose of the Undergraduate Research program is to prepare undergraduates for success after graduation, either in graduate studies or the professional world. Student researchers gain experience with professional equipment and research processes. They are better prepared for graduate school admissions. But even if they do not become academics, students still find the process rewarding. Chapman compares the process to college sports, suggesting that very few college athletes attempt to become professionals, yet they learn fundamental virtues like teamwork and work ethic. Similarly, all undergraduate researchers, regardless of plans for the future, learn the benefits of diligent work habits, organization skills, and effective communication. These are qualities necessary to excel in the next phase of one’s academic or professional life, regardless of one’s chosen path.

The University’s student researchers, as a result of their work, have made some impressive accomplishments. In 2006 St. Thomas alumnae Thuy Le and Michael Holiday were each awarded a full $160,000 scholarship for MD/PhD study at University of Texas Houston and Texas Tech respectively based on their undergraduate. Other researchers have gone on to acquire scholarships. Many present the results of their research at regional or national meetings of professional and academic societies. By taking the initiative to participate in research and to present that research to the public, student researchers demonstrate their quality and ability as present and future leaders.