FAU Teams Up with Shipwreck Park for Underwater Public Project, ‘Wahoo Bay’

Several years in the making, Wahoo Bay will serve partly as an educational marine park as well as an initiative to restore the natural habitat. Using AI and sensors, FAU engineers and students will deploy automated weather monitoring stations, underwater cameras, vehicles, acoustic and water quality monitoring sensors in Wahoo Bay, a “living” laboratory that provides an immersive experience for visitors while raising awareness of keeping oceans and coral reef systems healthy.

$1.9M NSF-funded initiative to transform UIC undergraduate chemistry offerings

Supported by a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the University of Illinois Chicago department of chemistry will launch a project consisting of evidence-based research of teaching and learning practices, course and curriculum revisions and faculty development, all with the intention of enhancing STEM education for undergraduate students.

Coping in College? Female Students Much More Stressed Than Their Male Counterparts

Researchers measured both the psychological perception of stress and evaluated how undergraduate males and females cope with stress. The differences are vast. Females experienced much higher levels of stress than males and used emotion-focused approaches to cope more than males. Females used self-distractions, emotional support and venting as coping strategies. Male students on the other hand sought much lower levels of support, since they either may lack the social network or may not have developed those skills.

CUR’s First Virtual UR Exchange Features Undergraduate Work across Borders amid COVID-19

The first virtual UR Exchange of the Council on Undergraduate Research featured many inspirational stories of faculty-student research conducted during the challenges of the COVID-19 environment.

CUR’s First Virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research Will Highlight Student Projects from across the Globe

On April 12-14, 2021, students from colleges and universities from around the world will participate in the 2021 virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), coming together online to share their research in all academic disciplines.

AIP Provides Aid to Struggling Physics, Astronomy Students Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

To help students struggling through financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Institute of Physics has established an emergency relief fund to support needs-based scholarships for undergraduate students in physics and astronomy. The AIP-SPS Student Emergency Scholarship Fund will be awarded on a rolling basis during this spring and summer and throughout the 2020-2021 academic year to provide immediate and timely relief for students who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

Passing crucial, challenging introductory chemistry course gives biggest boost to underrepresented students

Underrepresented students in STEM received lower grades in a general chemistry series compared to their peers and were less likely to continue. But if underrepresented students completed the first course with at least the minimum grade needed to continue, they were more likely than their peers to do so.

CUR’s First Virtual Posters on the Hill Showcases Undergraduate Research to Policymakers, Scholars, and the Public

On April 21, students will participate in the 2020 Posters on the Hill event. This year, because of COVID-19 challenges, undergraduate researchers and faculty mentors from institutions such as Butler University, California State University–Fullerton, and University of Chicago will share their research online.

Underrepresented college students benefit more from ‘active learning’ techniques in STEM courses

Switching from passive techniques, such as lectures, to inquiry-based “active learning” methods in college STEM courses has a disproportionate benefit for underrepresented students, which includes low-income students & Latinx, African-American, Native-American, Native-Hawaiian/Pacific-Islander students.

Michael Dorff (BYU), George C. Shields (Furman U) Honored as 2020 CUR Fellows

Michael Dorff (Brigham Young University) and George C. Shields (Furman University) are the latest Fellows of the Council on Undergraduate Research to be honored for their leadership and service as role models for those involved in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities.

Council on Undergraduate Research Announces 2019 AURA Awardees: Bridgewater State University, Florida State University, Occidental College

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) will present its 2019 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments (AURA) to Bridgewater State University, Florida State University, and Occidental College on January 24, 2020, in Washington, DC.