Volume 2, Issue 2 (2022) Summer 2022

Introduction to Volume 2, Issue 2

What a whirlwind the past two years have been with Undergraduate Research. I am fortunate to have been a part of the entire process and I continue to be overwhelmed by the research and writing talents that are submitted daily. Undergraduate students all over the world are being mentored by highly educated individuals whose passion it is to pass on their knowledge and grow curiosities that arise within these students. That is what undergraduate research is all about: taking the initial spark and turning it into the methods that constitute the creative process.

Many undergraduate students are nervous about the proposition of a research study; this is where we come in. Using Undergraduate Research as a vessel to highlight the highest quality research projects in undergraduate academia, we can motivate undergraduates everywhere to strive for the same end goal. However, ultimately even though to complete the research loop, public dissemination is encouraged and anticipated, the “act” of undergraduate research goes so much further. I personally have taken timid undergraduates and turned them into research minded young adults. They now incorporate research methodologies into their everyday living, and those skills contribute to creating a more well-rounded citizen.

Is undergraduate research appropriate for EVERY student? The answer to that question solely lives within each student. The choice to challenge and push themselves ultimately falls on their shoulders. Mentors are there to guide and not force, yet a little force can go a long way. Have you ever attempted to open a stuck jar lid? What did you do, give up? No, you created methods and trials to “unstick” the lid, and when one way didn’t work, you tried another way. You gave it the force it needed to get it opened. That is how undergraduate research should be approached - absolute trial and error. Nothing is ever truly easy, and that goes for the research experience as well.

Being able to show your intellectual and creative work to others strengthens the confidence of the undergraduate and pushes them into attempting to open more stuck jar lids, using more ingenious and creative ideas. And eventually, that lid will open.

Kelly P. Massey
Editor-in-Chief
Undergraduate Research