Undergraduate Project Research Articles

Dr Oris Sanjur

Dr. Sanjur’s relationship with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute spans three decades.
 In 1989, she was a research assistant for two years working on her undergraduate thesis project. After earning a B.S. in Biology from the University of Panama, she completed a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She returned to STRI as a postdoctoral fellow in 1998, studying the relationships between wild and domesticated crops such as squash and pumpkin.
 She then spent ten years as manager and researcher of the Molecular Evolution laboratory, after which she took on her most recent role as Associate Director for Science Administration at STRI. In this position, she became responsible for maintaining high standards of scientific operational support for the Institute’s research programs throughout a decade.

Transport through quantum dots: An introduction via master equation simulations

In this work, we present a master equation approach to simulating DC transport through single electron transistors and quantum dots suitable for an upper-division undergraduate computational physics project. After introducing the basic theory describing transport through quantum dots, we present a simulation of the simple case of a metallic dot including effects due to the finite temperature of the leads. Building on this example, we simulate published data with orbital and spin states. We envision students building on these simulations to replicate other data in the published literature. Projects of this type would be suitable for an undergraduate independent study or computational project and will give students a strong introduction to the topic of transport through quantum dots without the need for expensive cryogenic and electrical measurement systems or device fabrication necessary for experimental work.

Evaluation of the Undergraduate Pharmacy Student Research Projects in Ambo University, Ethiopia: Retrospective Review.

BackgroundAcademic research is an essential part of undergraduate Pharmacy education to produce qualified Pharmacists. However, there are no documented studies that examine the nature of undergraduate Pharmacy students’ research projects in Ethiopia. Therefore this study aimed to characterize the nature of students’ research project conducted for a bachelor of Pharmacy degree program at Ambo University, Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional, retrospective review using data extraction form was conducted on 279 research reports of undergraduate Pharmacy students at Ambo University from 2013/14 to 2018/2019. The National Harmonized Modular Curriculum program for the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in Ethiopia was used as a framework to group research projects by research topics and domains. Students’ profile (gender, program), supervisors profile, research types and topics, a domain of pharmacy curriculum, study setting, study design, target population, data collection strategy and techniques, and therapeutic classes of medicines for each project were extracted to see the characteristics of students’ research project. Data were entered and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data.ResultsFrom 279 Pharmacy undergraduate students’ research projects, 83.9% were conducted by male students and 64.1% were by regular program students. Two hundred fifty (89.6%) of the projects were surveys. Slightly less than half (49.8%) of the research projects were clinical researches. One hundred twenty-six (45.2%) of the research projects were focused on the pharmaceutical care domain followed by dispensing (22.6%) and research and education domain (10%). Out of the 250 survey research projects, the majority 226 (90.4%) of them were used cross-sectional study design, 205 (82%) were conducted at hospitals and 187 (74.8%) were done on the clinical population.ConclusionThe study showed that the majority of the abstracted projects were surveyed type quantitative clinical researches focused on the Pharmaceutical care domain and takes place at hospitals affiliated with the University. On the contrary, a lower proportion of the research projects were laboratory-based researches, focused on Pharmaceuticals manufacturing, drug information service, regulation, and supply chain management domains, and takes place at community Pharmacy and educational institutions. Thus, it is highly recommended the University has to devise a system for expansion of the study settings other than its affiliated hospitals, and the research topics would encompass all areas and domains of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical sciences.

‘A sort of collaboration’: challenged conceptions and negotiated temporalities in supervision practice at a reform university

ABSTRACT This paper examines supervisors at a reform university where most supervision concerns undergraduate and Master's project work. Drawing on Grant's ([2018]. ‘Assembling Ourselves Differently? Contesting the Dominant Imaginary of Doctoral Supervision’. Parallax 24 (3): 356–370) understanding of being a supervisor as an ongoing process of assembling oneself, it focuses on the role of this institutional framework as an ‘outside’ element in this assembling process. I argue that it shapes the conditions of that assembling through the changing conceptions and temporalities of supervision . While supervisors continue to aspire to the original conception of supervision as a distinct pedagogical mode that is – even for undergraduates – akin to apprenticeship, palpable quickening and demands for instruction-like supervision endanger this conception. This temporal compression, together with the prevalence of short-term cyclicality of projects and co-negotiation of multiple longer-term temporal frames of becoming a supervisor, makes for a temporally multi-layered and particularly intense supervisory practice.

The Mentorship Maze: Navigating the Undergraduate-Researcher Quandary

ABSTRACT Mentoring undergraduate student research is both challenging and rewarding for faculty members. With so many other obligations in research, teaching, and service, inexperienced faculty members may become quickly overwhelmed by volunteering time to mentor undergraduate research projects. Mentoring undergraduate research is often categorized as service; this may lead tenure-track assistant professors who are working to build a research portfolio to opt out of the mentorship process. However, in the face of challenges, many faculty members still take on undergraduate research projects due to their own intrinsic motivation to help students. Previous research has shown great value for both the faculty mentor and undergraduate student researcher; for instance, faculty mentors gain personal satisfaction and feel more relatable to students while student researchers improve social, research, and academic skills. The three authors of this paper have experienced the highs and lows of mentoring undergraduate research and provide recommendations to help the process run smoothly. Identifying and understanding potential problematic areas such as faculty-student expectation miscommunication, student trainings, and project design for the undergraduate level will help develop a more bulletproof plan of action. The recommendations discussed in this paper include proper planning of a research timeline, consideration of outside faculty and student commitments, effective communication, building confidence and independence in the student researcher in the midst of unrelenting supervision, and lastly but most importantly, practicing patience. The student researcher-faculty mentor relationship is important to the higher education system and with fine-tuning of the process, more faculty may be inclined to contribute.

Structured Approach to Enhance the Quality of Undergraduate Capstone Project: A Case Study

The capstone project course has been considered as a commanding student-centered learning activity designed to provide an opportunity to an undergraduate student to solve critical real-life problems by applying the technical and soft skills acquired. A major objective of the capstone project is to apply real-life engineering practices to fulfill customer needs. This paper outline the challenges and best practices learned in the development and implementation of the open-ended undergraduate capstone project with the intention to enhance the quality and learning outcomes. In order to enhance the quality of the capstone project, various strategies such as group formation, student evaluation, sourcing student projects, project plan, project space, project funding, and support for patent and paper publications have been discussed also. The capstone project is offered in the fourth year of B. Tech. mechanical engineering program and it consists of two modules; Phase I and Phase II. Around 72 students and 18 supervisors were involved in the activity for the entire academic year. The student learning outcomes were measured using the commercial software and observed that all the learning outcomes have been attained more than 75% and students have developed very good projects in a team by applying technical knowledge and soft skills learned in the program.

Motivating and Supporting Undergraduate Research through Green Chemistry: Experiences at a Small Liberal Arts University

Although most instructors and institutions agree on its value, undergraduate research remains an underutilized pedagogical tool because it requires ample time, funding, and equipment. Various institutions feel these pressures differently, but for many small institutions, lack of laboratory equipment and financial support can hinder undergraduate research projects. However, these institutions have much to gain from undergraduate research, especially as it offers benefits not only for students but also for faculty. For small institutions, although the principle applies to larger institutions as well, green chemistry offers a promising way forward: undergraduate research projects focusing on green chemistry have all the benefits of other undergraduate research projects but can be undertaken with minimal infrastructure and reduced cost. As an added benefit, they can help to reinforce the values of safety and sustainability for future chemists. This paper offers an example of a successful undergraduate research project in chemistry in a small liberal arts university and demonstrates how a project in green chemistry can make research-based learning feasible even in institutions with limited resources. Specifically, this project focuses on the development of a bioinspired, environmentally friendly wound-care product derived from chitosan and two naturally occurring aldehydes, citronellal and cinnamaldehyde. In this project, the student researcher prepared two chitosan Schiff bases using citronellal and cinnamaldehyde and then characterized and evaluated the antimicrobial properties of these products. Results suggest that both Schiff bases are highly bioactive and could indeed have value in wound-care. This project has scientific benefit, of course, but it also has pedagogical merits, showing how green chemistry can enable institutions to offer valuable undergraduate research opportunities with limited funding and infrastructure. This paper concludes with suggestions for related (and feasible) undergraduate research projects in green chemistry.

"Dry-Lab" training in final year undergraduate research projects during the COVID-19 pandemic: Practical applications and reflections

"Dry-Lab" training in final year undergraduate research projects during the COVID-19 pandemic: Practical applications and reflections

Practice and reflection of carrying out dry-lab training in final year undergraduate research project under the COVID-19 pandemic

Practice and reflection of carrying out dry-lab training in final year undergraduate research project under the COVID-19 pandemic

Students' perceptions in software modelling using UML in undergraduate final year projects

The paper sought to establish the students' perceptions in software modelling using UML in their final undergraduate projects. The research was done at the University in Botswana. The research used a mixed methods approach, an open ended questionnaire was administered to the participants. A sample size of 140 participants that met the inclusion criteria was used in the research. The key findings from the research were that students find modelling using UML to be challenging. Some of the project supervisors assigned to assist students with their projects was not knowledgeable with the student's project topic.

Digital Innovation during COVID-19: Transforming Challenges to Opportunities

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) swiftly changed almost all aspects of our lives and society. In this paper, we depict course adjustments that we made to an undergraduate digital innovation course project, called Innovation Farm (IF), in response to the pandemic. Designed as an in-person course project, IF requires students to create AI-powered Android apps to address important social issues. As stay-at-home orders came into effect in March, 2020, we shifted the course to the online modality refocused its student topics to address social issues that COVID-19 has engendered. Accordingly, we also discuss three challenges that we faced and the strategies we employed to cope with them; namely, framing students’ social innovation topics in the COVID-19 context, using virtual studios for online groupwork, and hosting a virtual pitch competition. Surprisingly, these strategies not only addressed the challenges but also created unintended benefits and opportunities. We hope to encourage educators to consider the possibilities in transforming challenges to opportunities during these unprecedented times.

Reflection on under-graduate Fashion Design Project: How can fashion represent the fluidity of Masculine and Feminine energy?

Reflection on under-graduate Fashion Design Project: How can fashion represent the fluidity of Masculine and Feminine energy?

Pedagogic Interest Group: a novel and proven collaborative, adhocracy research group structure.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Teaching is a core activity for universities, and pedagogic research is essential for improving student experience, staff satisfaction, and research and teaching quality. Pedagogic research is often performed as a secondary research area or by part-time staff, requiring good collaboration. Existing research structures in universities often result in pedagogic research falling through the gaps and for quality work and pedagogic improvements to be missed. Aim: The aim was to develop a clear and flexible structure to improve participation and output of pedagogic research in the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire. Method: A collaborative adhocracy called the Pedagogic Interest Group (PIG) was created in January 2020. It was designed to allow collaborative, flexible research projects to be easily set up by any staff member. The group supervises and organises a bespoke team of people for each project, drawing on all previously involved staff's expertise and contacts through an initial project meeting organised by an independent group chair. Each project group runs independently, with further help available from the group chairs. Results: Under the PIG structure, seven projects have been undertaken in less than one year. Two papers were published, one under review, two in preparation, one abstract accepted at an international conference, and fifteen funded undergraduate research projects completed. Part-time teaching staff are more involved in the research. Internally, three departments and externally, three other UK universities have been collaboratively involved in research projects. Conclusion: The PIG structure works and depends on staff's continued engagement and at least two independent chairs for impartiality and transparency.

Fostering Research and Education in Mathematical Biology

As it is releasing the seventh volume, Spora has established itself to be a highly respected journal for student-driven research in mathematics, biology, and related fields. Spora's role in disseminating work that was conducted by at least one student author makes it a unique platform to expand the body of knowledge in mathematical biology. Spora welcomes submissions related to Ph.D. dissertations, master's theses, and undergraduate research projects.

What Is Happening on Twitter? A Framework for Student Research Projects With Tweets

We draw on our experiences with mentoring two students to develop a framework for undergraduate research projects with Twitter data. Leveraging backward design principles, we share our learning objectives and rubric for summative assessments. To illustrate the value of Twitter as a data source, we detail methods for collecting and analyzing tweets. We conclude by emphasizing how Twitter text analysis projects enable students to formulate original research questions, collect and analyze data, and communicate findings and their implications. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.

Epidemiology and the SIR Model: Historical Context to Modern Applications

We suggest the use of historical documents and primary sources, as well as data and articles from recent events, to teach students about mathematical epidemiology. We propose a project suitable -- in different versions -- as part of a class syllabus, as an undergraduate research project, and as an extra credit assignment. Throughout this project, students explore mathematical, historical, and sociological aspects of the SIR model and approach data analysis and interpretation. Based on their work, students form opinions on public health decisions and related consequences. Feedback from students has been encouraging. We begin our project by having students read excerpts of documents from the early 1900s discussing the Indian plague epidemic. We then guide students through the derivation of the SIR model by analyzing the seminal 1927 Kermack and McKendrick paper, which is based on data from the Indian epidemiological event they have studied. After understanding the historical importance of the SIR model, we consider its modern applications focusing on the Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016 in West Africa. Students fit SIR models to available compiled data sets. The subtleties in the data provide opportunities for students to consider the data and SIR model assumptions critically. Additionally, social attitudes of the outbreak are explored; in particular, local attitudes towards government health recommendations.

Education for Sustainable Development: An Undergraduate Chemistry Project on Cellulose Dissolution, Regeneration, and Chemical Recycling of Polycotton

We introduced an undergraduate chemistry project within the framework of education for sustainable development (ESD). The objective of the first part was to demonstrate the efficiency of an ionic liquid (IL)- 1-(n-butyl)-3-methylimidazolium acetate (BuMeImAcO)- as solvent for the dissolution, and subsequent regeneration of cellulose as fiber. Under mechanical stirring, the students dissolved microcrystalline cellulose in a mixture of BuMeImAcO-dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at 80°C. Subsequently, they dyed the dissolved cellulose with a reactive dye, and regenerated (pink) colored fibers by injecting the resulting biopolymer solution into water (a non-solvent for cellulose). The objective of the second experiment was to show the potential application of BuMeImAcO-DMSO for the chemical recycling of the cellulosic component of polycotton (cellulose: polyethylene terephthalate; PET). Cellulose dissolves under the above-mentioned experimental conditions, leaving a mat of PET. The students dyed the dissolved cellulose, and then regenerated the biopolymer as fiber. This project fits the following aspects of ESD: fiber production from renewable sources other than cotton (wood-based cellulose); recycling of cellulose from its blends with synthetic polymers, when their reuse is not feasible. We recommend this project for senior science students of, e.g., chemistry, engineering and pharmacy, because of its simplicity, safety and socioeconomic relevance.

Building a Raspberry Pi Spectrophotometer for Undergraduate Chemistry Classes

We described and ran a lesson plan for a build-your-own visible-range spectrophotometer undergraduate project as inspired by the research of Bougot-Robin, Imperial College London. Students were required to improve a basic Raspberry Pi spectrophotometer design and evaluate their improvements. Students learned firsthand how to manage instrumental error by fixing component distances and minimizing stray light, while modifying their Python scripts to process and plot their collected data. Students evaluated the quality of their instrument prototypes by quantifying the limits of detection, quantification, and linearity, or by attempting to reproduce the visible spectrum of aqueous methylene blue solution. As part of the key findings of this work, we found that student ability to draw a diagram of a spectrophotometer has improved by an effect size of Hedges’ g = +2.25 by the end of the semester, compared to g = −0.05 for students who took traditional chemistry lab classes instead.

The Human Microbiome as a Focus of Antibiotic Discovery: Neisseria mucosa Displays Activity Against Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections are a serious global health problem. This organism has developed disturbing levels of antibiotic resistance, resulting in the need for new approaches to prevent and treat gonorrhea. The genus Neisseria also includes several members of the human microbiome that live in close association with an array of microbial partners in a variety of niches. We designed an undergraduate antibiotic discovery project to examine a panel of nonpathogenic Neisseria species for their ability to produce antimicrobial secondary metabolites. Five strains belonging to the N. mucosa species group displayed activity against other Neisseria in delayed antagonism assays; three of these were active against N. gonorrhoeae. The antimicrobial compound secreted by N. mucosa NRL 9300 remained active in the presence of catalase, trypsin, and HEPES buffer, and effectively inhibited a DNA uptake mutant of N. gonorrhoeae. Antimicrobial activity was also retained in an ethyl acetate extract of plate grown N. mucosa NRL 9300. These data suggest N. mucosa produces an antimicrobial secondary metabolite that is distinct from previously described antigonococcal agents. This work also serves as a demonstration project that could easily be adapted to studying other members of the human microbiome in undergraduate settings. We offer the perspective that both introductory and more advanced course-based and apprentice-style antibiotic discovery projects focused on the microbiome have the potential to enrich undergraduate curricula and we describe transferrable techniques and strategies to facilitate project design.

A model of invasion by bodysnatchers from the far reaches of space

ABSTRACT A discrete model of invasion by subversive alien bodysnatchers is constructed and analysed numerically as a proposed undergraduate project. Several extensions of the model are demonstrated, including a spatial system of ten planets arranged on a one-dimensional lattice, and we discuss some of the practical considerations that arise when supervising such a project. Exercises for further student investigations of the model are suggested.