Thursday, November 4, 2004

Writer: Joelle Prine, 706/583-0727, jprine@uga.edu
Contact: Pamela Kleiber, 706/542-0530, pkleiber@uga.edu

UGA Undergraduates Engage In Research Through Apprenticeship Program

Athens, Ga. –  Twenty-five University of Georgia undergraduates are actively engaged in learning –  outside the classroom –  from faculty-guided research and connecting with each other through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Apprenticeship Program at UGA.  The apprentices are competitively selected every fall to participate in the yearlong program.  As part of the program, they receive a $1,000 stipend per semester for a maximum of four semesters.

Deepening critical thinking and problem-solving skills are key components of the research training the apprentices receive when engaged in projects.  For example, Jonathan Grider, a freshman history major, is focusing his research efforts on continuing to explore the 1961 desegregation of UGA when Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes became the first two African-American students to enroll and earn baccalaureate degrees.  He has read much of what has been written and is interviewing people who were connected to that process to gain perspectives from both sides of the issue and evaluate how those perspectives have evolved after 43 years.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for Jonathan to strengthen his knowledge on a subject that he is passionate about, while the CURO program gives me a chance to guide him early on in his college career and help him with the undertaking of a substantial project,” said Jim Virga, Grider’s research mentor and a photojournalism lecturer in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.  “The program allows us the time to do the groundwork and properly research Jonathan’s interests.  We have already begun making the contacts needed for Jonathan to be successful with his project.”

Brittany King knows the advantages of a first-year research experience as she is beginning her sophomore year as an apprentice.  Like all CURO participants, the psychology major spends

10-12 hours per week in research activities with faculty mentor Rosemary Phelps, a professor in counseling and human development.  Her various projects include investigating how spirituality affects the college experience and what factors affect students’ decision to choose psychology as a major.

Special meetings with invited speakers from other universities or outside organizations also are held in conjunction with the Honors Program.  CURO apprentices have the opportunity to interact with leading professionals from different fields of study.  Joel Oppenheim, senior associate dean of biomedical sciences at New York University Medical School, and Susan Anderson, executive director of the ArtReach Foundation in Atlanta, are among the featured visitors this fall.

“The various programs in CURO form a core community of young scholars who share a common goal in conducting and sharing the results of original research,” said Pamela Kleiber, CURO coordinator and associate director of the Honors Program.  “CURO apprentices get involved in research earlier than most undergraduates and have individual and collaborative hands-on learning experiences through research with faculty before they learn some of the related subject matter in the classroom.  Each apprentice brings unique experiences from different disciplines into the one-hour weekly seminar for all apprentices and senior peer advisors.  These opportunities give them a chance to build camaraderie and contribute to one another’s learning.”

To develop further a sense of community, senior peer advisors help facilitate the weekly research seminar and help monitor and foster each apprentice’s progress.  Outstanding CURO apprentices are nominated for the positions by their peers.  Melissa Cabinian, a junior microbiology and environmental health science major, is mentoring the 14 science researchers, while Melvin Hines Jr., a third-year economics and political science major, is leading the 11 humanities, arts and social science researchers.

CURO apprentices also have volunteered to take on additional responsibilities with service learning projects that relate to their research.  These projects are instrumental in bringing the apprentices together as a group and bridging the gap between university and community boundaries.

The most recent project involves mentoring elementary school children in the after-school program at the Thomas N. Lay Community Center/Park in Athens.  The apprentices hold discussions with the children about the 2004 presidential election, emphasizing the different ways the children have the potential to make the world a better place for everyone.

“One thing I did not learn until starting the program was that the children really look up to you,” said Hines, who is leading the project.“There is no telling which path each child will take, but you have a hand in helping each one make the right choice, and that is powerful.”

Many areas of the university, including the Provost’s Office, contribute financial support for the apprenticeship program.  The Graduate School provides graduate student assistantships critical to the program.

“Nothing is more important to the development of UGA as a world-class research university than growth in the quality and number of graduate students.  The Graduate School continues to support CURO because it is an excellent example of building a culture of undergraduate inquiry at the university,” said Maureen Grasso, dean of the Graduate School.“CURO inspires undergraduates, invigorates learning and discovery, provides opportunities for graduate students to mentor undergraduates, and serves as an excellent research experience for undergraduates as they build a foundation for graduate education.”

UGA’s Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute is in its fourth year sponsoring five apprentices to conduct projects with BHSI faculty in fields ranging from biochemistry and molecular biology to veterinary medicine.

Three other apprentices work with plant biologist Lee Pratt in genomics and bioinformatics through a supplemental grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program. Pratt and his wife, Marie-Michèle Cordonnier-Pratt, have been involved with the CURO program for the past five years and secured this additional grant to benefit mutually the faculty-student research partnership.

The apprenticeship program, administered through the Honors Program, is open only to freshman applicants who may continue through their second year if they maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, have a satisfactory performance review and funding is available.

For more information, visit www.uga.edu/honors/curo.