UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Undergraduates experienced in conducting research are invited to apply to become mentors and help strengthen the research community.
Working with Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring, Ambassadors have the opportunity to develop professional, interpersonal, communication and leadership skills as they help their peers find and thrive in research opportunities at Penn State and beyond. Students from all academic disciplines and campuses who have research experience are invited to apply.
Find information on how to apply to be an Undergraduate Research Ambassador at urfm.psu.edu.
Applicants should be in their second year or above to be eligible, have a GPA of 3.0 or greater and have experience assisting or conducting research at the college level. Ambassadors should be prepared to donate approximately 6-8 hours per month of their time.
Tineka Lebrun, director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring, said engaging in research as an undergraduate can be a transformative experience that allows students to develop critical analytical and problem-solving skills while becoming part of the scholarly community on campus. The networks and relationships students build through collaborative intellectual inquiry can lead them to their passion and becoming active citizens and engaged professionals.
“But not every student knows how to connect with the wide range of opportunities on campus and finding a research mentor can be a challenge for those who haven’t been exposed to these types of opportunities in the past,” Lebrun said. “The Undergraduate Research Ambassadors program was designed to allow peers to share success stories while mentoring others so that every student can take advantage of the world-class research happening at Penn State.”
Ambassadors will receive training in the fall semester in preparation for panel discussions and events, classroom and student organization visits and individual meetings with undergraduates.
URFM is also accepting invitations to present to classes and organizations. A presentation can be requested here.
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of the Penn State Office of Undergraduate Education.