UROP expands program to include upperclassmen

An expansion of the University's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program will now give juniors and seniors the same research experience that was once only available to first-and-second year-students.

"Traditionally, UROP was designed to create research opportunities for incoming freshman and sophomores," said UROP Director Sandra Gregerman. "By brokering relationships between younger students and faculty, we hope students can apply their academic skills, specifically skills they have learned in introductory courses like biology and chemistry, to real, hands-on research."

But an overwhelming interest from upperclass students who also wanted to participate in the program prompted UROP officials to look into expanding the program for all students.

"The idea of expansion was initially proposed about a year and a half ago under the suggestion of interim (University) President Homer Neal," Gregerman said. "President Neal was interested in seeing how the University community would benefit from in

PAUL TALANIAN/Daily Biology Junior Eleanor Howe, who was recently accepted to UROP, looks through a microscope in a laboratory in the Natural Science building yesterday.

creased student research."

The junior/senior pilot program officially began this semester with about 125 students participating.

"Basically, with this pilot program we wanted to start off small to get a feel for what juniors and seniors would want from a research program," Gregerman said.

"Often the things that juniors and seniors are seeking from a research program are not the same things that younger students seek. First and second-year students often are not really sure of their majors and are still trying to get a feel for what they want to do," she said.

Students participating in UROP are optimistic about the programs expansion as well.

"Often, the things that juniors and seniors are seeking from a research program are not the same things that younger students seek," Gregerman said. "First-and-second-year students often are not really sure of their majors and are still trying to get a feel for what they want to do."

Students participating in UROP also said they are optimistic about the program's expansion.

"I think the junior/senior program is a good thing. I've actually applied for it myself," said LSA sophomore Andrea Hackert, who is working at Mott Children's Hospital, researching the affects of anti-hypertensive drugs.

"UROP is a very unique experience," Hackert said. "Expanding the program to juniors and seniors will allow students to continue doing research with faculty they've already established relationships with."

Hackert cited several advantages of being involved in the junior/senior program.

"Another really appealing thing about the junior/senior program is the fact that you can do an honor's thesis and have the research count toward your credit," she said.

While Hackert said she felt that the new pilot program is beneficial overall, she did see a potential downfall to it's introduction.

"The only problem would be that (it) could potentially take away projects from freshmen and sophomores, since some professors might want to take older students who have had more classes in a particular field," Hackert said. "Hopefully, they will set some guidelines for who gets what project."

Several UROP advisers said that while problems with the new program are inevitable, it is still too early to identify its drawbacks.

"The program is still in the making, so it's still hard to say what the problems are going to be," said biomedical peer adviser Tanya Drosis. "But I definitely think that expanding the program will encourage more students to participate in research."

01-28-98