Undergraduate students interested in conducting research while at The University of Alabama can access a virtual event to explore research and creative opportunities.
The second annual Faculty Research Showcase, hosted by the Office for Undergraduate Research and the Office for Research and Economic Development, shows off the work and personnel of more than 35 research labs across campus and helps undergraduate students get involved.
It will be available online throughout the rest of the academic year.
“It’s a perfect time to get involved in undergraduate research,” said Dr. Kim Bissell, director of UA’s Office of Undergraduate Research and a professor in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. “The faculty participating in the Faculty Research Showcase want to engage with undergraduates, so it’s a great time to see how to get involved.”
The Faculty Research Showcase is an annual exposition of research and creative work conducted by faculty members and graduate students to introduce undergraduates to research faculty and their work and the diversity of research conducted at UA while allowing students to network with research faculty members.
Bissell said, even during the pandemic, research is something students can do on campus. Not all research is done in the lab, with many projects in the social sciences and humanities available to work on remotely; and, in some of the natural sciences, work can be done in the field. For lab work, protocols are in place to protect the health and safety of all involved.
Research is a way to leave a positive, meaningful impact, she said.
“Students get to learn how to navigate situations when curve balls get thrown their way,” she said. “We always encounter challenges in our research, and I feel like UA’s faculty members who want to work with undergrads will help teach them how to do just that.”