Making College “Worth it” – Season 3, Episode 5

In this episode, Jessie and Nolan talk with Kasey Wozniak about how vertically integrated project (VIP) courses support student project ownership, authentic undergraduate research, and career readiness. Drawing on her research at Idaho State University, Wozniak shares how flexible course design, near-peer mentoring, and public presentations help students build confidence, collaboration skills, and a sense of belonging—making college learning more meaningful and worthwhile.

View a transcript of this episode.

Meet our Guest

Kasey Wozniak is a master’s student in the Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Her research is focused on biological education pertaining to project ownership of undergraduates in a Vertically Integrated Projects course. Using what she learned from her research and over seven years of experience in outreach education, she has successfully designed and implemented outreach for the Integrative Physiology lab. She is also able to apply her research to her mentoring style of high school students participating in authentic research experiences. Witnessing students acquire project ownership and develop their scientific identities in real time has reinforced her belief in the power of education and her drive to foster connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to enact positive change and see themselves as capable scientists.

Episode Credits

This episode is co-hosted by Jessie L. Moore, Director of Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning, and Nolan Schultheis, a third-year student at Elon University, studying Psychology with an interest in law. Nolan Schultheis also edited the episode. Making College “Worth It” is produced by Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. 

Episode art was created by Jessie Moore and Jennie Goforth. The image in the episode art is by pch.vector on Freepik.

Funky Percussions is by Denys Kyshchuk (@audiocoffeemusic) – https://www.audiocoffee.net/. Soft Beat is by ComaStudio. 

Explore Related Resources

Wozniak, Kasey L., Anna S. Grinath, Heather J. Ray, and Devaleena S. Pradhan. 2025. “Cultivating Student Project Ownership: Recommendations for VIP Instructors.” Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research 8 (3), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.18833/spur/8/3/5

Student Project Ownership in Vertically Integrated Projects

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