HomeBlogUndergraduate Research Undergraduate Research and Implications for Life Developmentby Jessie Moore and Nolan SchultheisDecember 2, 2024 Share: Section NavigationSkip section navigationIn this sectionPodcasts – Home 60-Second SoTL Limed: Teaching with a Twist Making College “Worth It” Special Series First-Year Seminars Land Acknowledgement Making College “Worth It” – Season 2, Episode 4 In this episode, we consider how undergraduate research impacts a student’s inquiry, sense of belonging, and long-term career. Drawing from in-depth interviews with alumni across the disciplines, Kristine Johnson and Michael Rifenburg explored the benefits of undergraduate research: meaningful intellectual engagement, a sense of belonging in the campus community, and vocational clarity and career success after college. Our conversation highlights rich examples from their interviews and reinforces the long-term value of undergraduate research. View a transcript of this episode. Meet our Guests J. Michael Rifenburg, professor of English at the University of North Georgia, USA, serves as senior faculty fellow for scholarly writing with UNG’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership. He authored The Embodied Playbook: Writing Practices of Student-Athletes (Utah State University Press, 2018), Drilled to Write: Becoming a Cadet Writer at a Senior Military College (Utah State University Press, 2022), and, with Kristine Johnson, A Long View of Undergraduate Research: Alumni Perspectives on Inquiry, Belonging, and Vocation (Routledge/Elon 2024). He is a recipient of the University System of Georgia Regents’ Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award and serves on the Board of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Kristine Johnson is associate professor of English and university rhetoric director at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. She teaches linguistics, writing, and composition pedagogy and enjoys collaborating with undergraduate researchers. Her research has appeared in College Composition and Communication, Rhetoric Review, the Journal of Communication and Religion, WPA: Writing Program Administration, Composition Studies, and various edited collections. With J. Michael Rifenberg, she edited a special issue of Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture on undergraduate research in English studies and authored A Long View of Undergraduate Research: Alumni Perspectives on Inquiry, Belonging, and Vocation (Routledge/Elon 2024). Episode Credits This episode is co-hosted by Jessie L. Moore, Director of Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning, and Nolan Schultheis, a second-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 Nolan Schultheis and Jennie Goforth. Funky Percussions is by Denys Kyshchuk (@audiocoffeemusic) - https://www.audiocoffee.net/. Soft Beat is by ComaStudio. Explore Center Resources Related to this Episode A Long View of Undergraduate Research Use discount code AFLY04 for 20% off A Long View of Undergraduate Research and other books in the Series on Engaged Learning and Teaching. The discount code is valid until the end of March 2025. Undergraduate Research The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) defines undergraduate research as: “An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.” Similarly, Kinkead (2003) notes that Undergraduate Research (UR) can include… Explore Center Blog Posts on Undergraduate Research Collaboration in Creation: A Guide for Preparing and Presenting Research Posters – Part 2, For Mentors In our previous post, we, the members of the Infant Development Lab, shared advice for students on how to prepare to present research posters. In Part 2 of this series, we will now share several ways faculty mentors can support… Collaboration in Creation: A Guide for Preparing and Presenting Research Posters – Part 1, For Students “No idea is fully formed until it can be communicated.” The Boyer Commission 1998 As we near the end of the academic year, many undergraduate research students and their mentors are planning to present research posters showcasing their accomplishments. In… What’s in an Undergraduate Research Space? This semester, we have found ourselves thinking about the importance of research spaces for undergraduate research mentoring and research productivity. Dr. Thurman recently returned from a post-promotion sabbatical and rebuilt the infrastructure for her lab. Her psychology research program centers… Integrating Research into Undergraduate Courses: A Review of Two Essential Books Hensel, Nancy, ed. 2024. Course-Based Undergraduate Research: Educational Equity and High-Impact Practice. Routledge. Coleman, Jennifer, Nancy Hensel, and William E. Campbell, eds. 2024. Undergraduate Research in Online, Virtual, and Hybrid Courses. Routledge. Undergraduate research has long been recognized as a high-impact educational… Strategies for Onboarding New Undergraduate Research Student Mentees We are approaching the time of year many mentors begin thinking about onboarding new undergraduate (and graduate) student mentees in their research programs. This exciting time marks the beginning of what will hopefully become a meaningful and productive relationship (if… 1 2 … 12 13 >
