Dan Nonte, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 3-20-07
GREENSBORO, NC – Aging honeybees, noise-induced hearing loss, the voices of prairie voles and activism in Sudan are among the topics undergraduate researchers have explored recently at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
These projects and many more will be on display at the Undergraduate Research Expo 12:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in Cone Ballroom of Elliott University Center. Almost 90 students will showcase their research through exhibits, poster presentations, oral reports, panel discussions, performances and, in one case, an architectural model.
Clara Marts, a senior majoring in Exercise and Sport Science, will be among those presenting research at the expo. With guidance from Dr. Paul Davis, the Salisbury resident has spent the past year looking at the effects of daily exercise on overweight young women (ages 18-30). Early results suggest that exercise can boost body image even without weight loss.
Undergraduate research “allows me to get to know my professors and really expand my knowledge of the field,” she says. “When I first walked into the lab, I wondered, What am I doing here? Now I just can’t see doing anything else.”
The project has helped Marts apply and better understand statistical math, a subject that had grown hazy since she studied it years ago. A people person, she quickly developed a rapport with the women participating in the study. She collected data through questionnaires and helped administer EKGs to rule out health risks.
The 38-year-old mother of three, including a UNCG freshman, plans to graduate in December and continue her studies in graduate school or possibly work in the field of cardiac rehabilitation using skills learned during her research project.
Marts’ experience is not unusual. Conducting research demands active learning and frequently has life-changing consequences for students, says Dr. Mary Crowe, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “Lectures are about giving answers. Research is about asking questions,” she says.
“Our undergraduate research program allows students to work with faculty mentors in state-of-the-art research facilities. These research projects can strengthen graduate school applications, connect students to the larger community and help students plan the next step in their careers.”
Depending on their projects, student researchers can receive academic credit and stipends of $1,000 or $2,000. Projects typically last four or eight months (one or two semesters).
Proposals for stipend-supported research are reviewed by a faculty committee. In the most recent review of proposals, in January, 14 of 21 proposals were approved.
Later in April, nine undergraduate researchers will present their projects to state legislators in Raleigh. In November, UNCG students will take part in the third annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium.
