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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research University Foundations

Successful pilot of First Year Research Experience

This fall, the Office of Engaged Learning successfully piloted the First Year Research Experience. This program is aimed at engaging high-achieving students who are interested in research but not affiliated with an honors or scholar group.

Fourteen students joined the initial cohort. They took the FYRE course (UNIV 1102) together and worked as research assistants under faculty mentors:

  • Dr. Matthew Boulanger (Anthropology)
  • Dr. Courtney Brown (Creative Computation)
  • Dr. John Buynak (Chemistry)
  • Dr. Maria Langlois and Dr. Milica Mormann (Marketing)
  • Dr. Monnie McGee (Statistics and Data Science)
  • Dr. Christopher Roos and Dr. Kacy Hollenback (Anthropology)
  • Dr. Janille Smith-Colin (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
FYRE class meeting faculty mentors
The FYRE class: students meeting their mentors for the first time

The FYRE class, taught by Dr. Jennifer Ebinger and Dr. Adam Scott Neal, gave students a deeper understanding of the research process through activities and discussions that centered around the mentors’ research. For their final project, each student produced a 3-minute presentation that explained their mentor’s research questions and the methods they used during the semester.

Dr. Caitlin Anderson, Chair and Teaching Associate Professor of University Foundations, attended the final presentations. She said, “It’s clear that the students learned so much through their research experience, as they each had a solid command of the material. I’m looking forward to continuing this partnership [with the Office of Engaged Learning] in future terms!”

For Qien Shensun, who is pursuing statistics and computer science majors, one of the best parts of the class was the panel discussions, “where researchers shared their experiences and insights. They highlighted important aspects of research that I had previously overlooked, such as the influence of pressures, financial constraints, and how these factors can shape a research project’s process and outcomes.”

Qien gained a lot of practical skills in her research with Dr. Brown. “In our Dinosaur Choir project, we had to build and connect various components, including a mouth-tracking camera, sound amplification devices, and the main control screen. . . . I learned how to systematically troubleshoot each piece of equipment, as every device has its own unique and efficient debugging method.”

Sohom Patel, a civil engineering major, is enjoying the FYRE experience. He says, “I loved getting to meet people that were interested in research as a freshman . . . Something interesting I learned from class was all the different types of people and personalities everyone has and how that can drive research as well as relationships.”

The faculty mentors have been impressed with the calibre of these students. Dr. Maria Langlois said, “my FYRE student, Ariadne [Aramayo Abusada], embraced this opportunity wholeheartedly. Her curiosity, adaptability, and eagerness to learn have made working with her a truly rewarding experience as we explore the complexities of consumer behavior and decision-making in research together.”

This first FYRE cohort will continue working with their mentors this spring. OEL is also welcoming a second cohort of students who will be taking the class this spring. Dr. Leanne Ketterlin-Geller (Education Policy and Leadership) and Dr. Brett Story (Civil and Environmental Engineering) will be among the new faculty mentors joining the program.

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