Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): http://www.cur.org/
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) 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. CUR’s leadership works with agencies and foundations to enhance research opportunities for faculty and students. CUR provides support for faculty development. Our publications and outreach activities are designed to share successful models and strategies for establishing and institutionalizing undergraduate research programs. We assist administrators and faculty members in improving and assessing the research environment at their institutions. CUR also provides information on the importance of undergraduate research to state legislatures, private foundations, government agencies, and the U.S. Congress. CUR welcomes faculty and administrators from all academic institutions. Our primary advocacy is in support of faculty and students at predominantly undergraduate institutions. CUR achieves its vision through efforts of its membership as organized in a divisional structure that includes biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics and computer science, physics and astronomy, psychology, social sciences, an at-large division that serves administrators and other disciplines, and a division for directors of undergraduate research programs.
Definition of Undergraduate Research: An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original, intellectual, or creative contribution to the discipline.
The Council on Undergraduate Research, founded in 1978, is a national organization of individual and institutional members representing over 900 colleges and universities.
CUR is undertaking a number of new initiatives that are likely to be of interest to Science Center Faculty:
CUR Mentor Network
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Mentor Network matches individuals seeking information about starting, sustaining, or re-initiating undergraduate research programs to experienced, tenured CUR faculty. Those requesting mentors may be newly hired faculty as well as established faculty who are interested in restarting a research program or moving in a new direction. For interested faculty, a list of possible mentors will be provided based on mentoring needs, research interests, institutional similarities and or/regional proximity depending on the individual’s preferences. In order to expand this network, the CUR mentor network would like to let CUR members and institutions know about this program and we are asking for your assistance in notifying the appropriate chairs. Please note that the individual requesting a mentor must be a CUR individual member. The contact information for the specific divisions is shown below:
Chemistry:
Lisa Gentile (lgentile@richmond.edu)
Biology: Quinn Vega
(vegaq@mail.montclair.edu)
Geoscience and Physical Geography: Laura Guertin
(uxg3@psu.edu)
Physics and Astronomy: Beth Cunningham
(bcunning@iwu.edu)
Smith CUR members
The following Smith faculty are members of CUR:
Michael O. Albertson
Susan C. Bourque
Carol Tecla Chris
John Connolly
John Davis
Sandra L. Doucett
Nalini Easwar
Maureen Fagan
Nathanael Fortune
Alice Hearst
Shizuka Hsieh
Elizabeth R. Jamieson
Thomas Litwin
Christopher Loring
Heather McQueen
Borjana Mikic
Joseph O ‘Rourke
Kate Queeney
Amy Rhodes
Kevin Shea
Christina Suarez
Rebecca M. Thomas
webGURU – Guide to Research for Undergraduate Students: http://www.webguru.neu.edu/
The purpose of this website is to provide undergraduates interested in and/or currently participating in undergraduate research experiences in science, technology, engineering, an/or mathematics with ready information and links to reliable electronic resources on all aspects of the undergraduate research experience.