When people think of college, they typically only think of three things: school work, sports, and parties. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is no different. It offers these things for people if that’s what they’re looking for. One of the opportunities our campus offers for students that is not as well known is undergraduate research. It really baffles me that not as many people know about it as they should.

UWM ranks as one of the top research institutes in the entire country. We gain this distinction by ranking as an R-1 Research Institute. “That coveted R1 status reflects the depth and breadth of our research across dozens of doctoral programs and more than 100 labs, institutes and centers. Our cutting-edge work transforms lives and fuels the region’s economy.” (uwm.edu) This alone marks it as one of the brightest spots in the UWM community in comparison to different activities. (Cough...sports...cough)

You may be wondering why research is important. Well, the importance of research is in gaining knowledge in the world around us. Without research, there would be a lot of things we wouldn’t have access to or even know about. An important thing that research also does is create opportunities. These opportunities include networking, traveling, and gaining experience. UWM students are currently in the prime time of year to take advantage of these opportunities.

From the end of March to early May is typically when research season peaks for Undergraduate students at UWM. There typically isn’t much fanfare when it comes to acknowledging it however. Undergraduate researchers are offered several opportunities to display their work at various venues. The most well-known opportunity for UWM students being the UWM Undergraduate Research Symposium on campus. The symposium will take place Students work all year to present their work to their peers and learn many new skills along the way. Another notable moment during this season would be the National Conference. The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is the crown jewel of research for any undergraduate student. This year it’s being hosted at the University of Memphis. (I’m currently typing this up on the bus ride to it). This conference offers the best opportunity for those trying to gain recognition in academics. Reaching these points, however, wouldn’t be possible without the great support offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Pictured above: Office of Undergraduate Research at UWM.

The atmosphere of the office is completing uplifting and supporting when it comes to getting your research off the ground. This starts directly with the amazing staff that works there. Nigel, Kyla, Tammy, and Lisa provide as many resources as possible in helping to make people successful. They also receive help from several great student assistants in Juan, Michael, Elena, Erin and Chelsea. The research scene at UWM would be in shambles if it wasn’t for their guidance.

Pictured above: Kyla Esguerra discusses potential conferences with a student.

Pictured above: Juan Orjuela assists a student with her poster work.

Personally, I’ve benefitted greatly from the research community at UWM. They’ve helped me countless times when it came to me doing research. Having the opportunity to research the world around me has changed my life for the better. I’ve met remarkable people, made life-long friends, and gone places I wouldn’t even had imagined at this time last year. They’ve shown me the importance in networking with different people in my field and having the opportunity to work with people interested in the things I care about. For that I am thankful.

Pictured above: Carl Greer presenting at the National Ronald McNair Research conference.

Research is a major component of UWM’s national success. Our R-1 ranking illustrates this. Some of the best and brightest students get an opportunity to showcase their abilities because of their research. The community that it helps foster is one of the strongest in the UWM community because of the networking, traveling, and gaining personal experience along the way. It’s time for everyone to take a closer look at the UWM undergraduate research community. They deserve it.

Sources:

http://uwm.edu/research/

http://uwm.edu/our/