Viewpoint: Research enhances undergrad education

Welcome to the University of Michigan, and welcome to one of the most productive and exciting centers of research excellence in the world!

Michigan research and scholarly activity has touched your lives in many ways already. Our researchers and scholars have, for instance, developed new approaches to music and dance, new ways of looking at history and human evolution, proved the effectiveness of the Salk polio vaccine, developed a gene delivery system for molecular medicine, recently discovered the gene for cystic fibrosis, pioneered the field of fiber optics and holography, invented the technology underpinning the Internet, discovered many chemotherapeutic agents, and the list continues to grow.

All of this activity provides a rich environment for you to learn and to grow intellectually and provides additional ways for you to connect to our outstanding faculty. As our Provost Nancy Cantor has pointed out, a truly great university integrates teaching and research for all of its students at all levels of experience and expertise. The University faculty - engaged in the most innovative and creative research and scholarship - have the advanced knowledge to offer you the special advantages of a Michigan education.

As you start your University career, I invite you to explore the opportunities and challenges that a research-intensive institution like ours provides. Are you curious about the incredible societal changes in South Africa as that country moves from apartheid to democracy? Are you interested in the origin of the universe and the fundamental properties of matter? How about the development of democracy and capitalism in China? Would you like to learn about the construction and use of large telescopes? Or how genes can be captured, modified, and added to an organism's genetic potential?

Are you concerned about global warming and the effects of rising carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere? Does the increased participation of women in occupations and professions previously dominated by males hold a special attraction for you? Are you concerned about the Great Lakes and the quality of the inland water resources of the nation? Does AIDS, or the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics against disease-causing microorganisms engage your concern? Are you curious about how University forecasters provide the nation with an annual outlook on the country's economic health? Do you want to understand the national debate on the public support of the arts and humanities? Do the problems faced by children growing up in the inner city of Detroit engage you?

All of these questions and more are being explored by University faculty, and you can take part in this work in some way, even as undergraduates.

Learning through involvement in research and creative work has many pay-offs. Many research endeavors involve work in teams that might include faculty members, graduate students, technical staff, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate students working on a project together - the very kind of collaboration seen in all areas of work today.

Many students find that engagement in research provides a context and meaning to their academic program; course material makes more sense once a connection to the real world is recognized. Frequently, students find their grades rising.

Students learn as much about their strengths and interests as they do about some new area of study, making future career choices easier. I know this personally. Had I not tasted research as an undergraduate, I would have followed a career path into medicine rather than research - for me, a grave mistake. On the other hand, some of my friends learned through participation in biomedical research that clinical service as a physician was exactly the right path for them. Like mine did, your research experiences will expose you to faculty and others who can serve as valuable guides and counselors - mentors who will be in strong positions to write meaningful letters of recommendation to future employers.

And remember, your engagement in research can take many forms. For some of you, a credit research course is appropriate. For others, summer research makes more sense. Some faculty members can offer paying jobs on research projects. Talk to faculty and graduate students about their work, check out the hot research topics in your areas of personal interest or simply visit the lab or studio down the corridor. In particular, check into the widely acclaimed Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) for the chance to join a research team during the first few years at the University. For other leads on research-based learning for undergraduates, go to the Website, http://www.undergraduateresearch.edu

Again, welcome to the University of Michigan. Welcome to the opportunities to participate in research, scholarship and creative activity.

Frederick C. Niedhardt is the vice president for research.

09-09-98