Adrian
Joins Undergraduate Research Organization
From turtles to religion, student
research abounds at Adrian posted
3/26/07
ADRIAN, Mich. – Adrian College
recently became a member institution of the Council
on Undergraduate Research (CUR), an organization whose
mission is to support and promote high-quality undergraduate
student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship.
“We joined CUR to enhance the
ability of our undergraduates to engage in scholarship
and creative endeavors,” said Dr. Dale Nesbary,
vice president and dean of Academic Affairs. “Membership
will provide Adrian College with additional tools to
strengthen professorial mentorship opportunities for
our students and provide another tool with which we
may support student scholarship.”
The Council on Undergraduate Research
and its affiliated colleges, universities, and individuals
share a focus on providing undergraduate research opportunities
for faculty and students at predominantly undergraduate
institutions. CUR believes that faculty members enhance
their teaching and contribution to society by remaining
active in research and by involving undergraduates in
research.
Adrian College has an established
tradition of providing collaborative research opportunities
for students and their professors. Joining CUR demonstrates
the College’s continued to commitment to this
endeavor.
CUR’s leadership works with
agencies and foundations to enhance research opportunities,
provides support for faculty development, shares successful
models and strategies for undergraduate research programs,
assists in improving and assessing the research environment
at member institutions, and provides information on
undergraduate research to state legislatures, private
foundations, government agencies, and the U.S. Congress.
(www.cur.org)
Adrian is currently in the process
of Renaissance II, the second phase of a strategic plan
that has already resulted in far-reaching changes to
the College. This second phase is focused on academics,
and will result in the most dramatic academics changes
at Adrian in the past 30 years. This will include further
enhancement of research opportunities.
There are many examples of current
or recent faculty-student research at Adrian.
- Students are working with Dr. Adam
Coughlin, exercise science professor, on performance
studies and athlete testing of all kinds, including
next year on the Adrian hockey teams. Next fall they
begin research on physical fitness for cancer survivors.
Adrian students recently received great praise for
their presentations at a regional conference.
- Dr. Jim Martin, assistant professor
of biology, has been working with a student for the
last year researching the invertebrate fauna at Dawson
Arboretum, an Adrian College natural science study
station located on nearby Round Lake. Two weeks ago
Martin and the student went to the Michigan Academy
of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, where she presented
a paper on her findings.
- As an outgrowth of her own research,
Dr. Melissa Stewart, assistant professor of religion,
worked closely with senior Mary Hagley on her research
about Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus.
They will each present papers at the regional conference
of the American Academy of Religion in Chicago later
this month.
- Dr. Agnes Caldwell, associate professor
of sociology, worked with a social work student through
the Michigan College's Foundation Earhart Emerging
Scholars program last year. The student presented
her research on domestic violence call centers at
the Midwest Sociology Society meeting and is currently
studying at the University of Michigan School of Social
Work. Caldwell traveled with another student to Venezuela
to interview people regarding the current president,
Hugo Chavez. The student now works with bilingual
clients at a local social service agency.
- Pat Quinlan, professor of business,
is working with two students to develop a training
program for new coaches to help them better understand
what motivates student athletes.
Two students plan to present papers at the 34th Conference
for Value Inquiry, a philosophy conference scheduled
at Adrian College April 12-15 and organized by Dr.
Jim Spence, assistant professor of philosophy.
- Students of Dr. Craig Weatherby,
biology professor, are helping with a long-term study
of aquatic turtle populations. Another team of students
have just begun a long-term ecological research project
in urban owl populations in the city of Adrian.
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