UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students looking to learn more about undergraduate research can attend one or more from a series of progressive information sessions and workshops offered by a partnership between University Libraries and the University Fellowships Office.

Students without prior experience in undergraduate research are encouraged to participate in the series and all academic fields are welcome. Additionally, those who may already have some undergraduate research experience can learn from the series about more advanced research skills, other opportunities and how to better communicate what they’ve learned.

For those who may not know where to begin, the first session of the semester, “Research and You: Unpacking Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry” at 5 p.m. Jan. 21, Mann Assembly, Paterno Library, will provide a foundation of understanding of the nature of research experiences for undergraduates. The workshop will also be available by Zoom at this link.

Immediately following the 5 p.m. workshop will be “Exploring Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences Outside of Penn State” at 6 p.m. A Zoom link is available here. This workshop will be especially helpful to those looking for insight into what it’s like to work full-time at a university on research. In particular, students will learn about how to search for summer 2020 opportunities across, including but not limited to REUs (research experiences for undergraduates) funded by the National Science Foundation, the country and their application processes.

Also in January, there will be a graduate student panel, “Understanding Undergraduate Research in STEM Fields” at 7 p.m. Jan. 30, 100 Huck Life Sciences Building. Here, students who may not know where to begin or who are looking for additional guidance on how to begin an undergraduate research project will hear from graduate students across a number of academic colleges including Eberly, Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Liberal Arts and the Huck Institutes about the benefits associated with getting involved in undergraduate research, how their research areas recruit undergraduate support, as well as what it is like to be mentored by a graduate student. The event is co-sponsored by the Millennium Scholars Program, but students from all academic fields are welcome.

Later in the semester, workshops will be available to help students prepare for the annual Penn State Undergraduate Exhibition in April, which invites students from all academic fields to showcase their research, be it through a traditional poster, presentation or performance. Last year, more than 300 students from across the University gathered in the HUB-Robeson Center to present their research to judges and compete for prizes, while mingling with other like-minded students.

Below is a full list of information sessions and workshops slated for the spring 2020 semester. Many of the information sessions are offered as webinars via Zoom. If campuses are interested in the workshops that are not offered via Zoom, contact Hailley Fargo (hmf14@psu.edu) or your local campus librarian to arrange a workshop. For up-to-date information, visit the Undergraduate Research website list of events and deadlines. Students only need to register in advance if attending by Zoom.

January

• “Research and You: Unpacking Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry,” 5 p.m. Jan. 21, Mann Assembly, Paterno Library; also available by Zoom
• “Exploring Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences Outside of Penn State,” 6 p.m. Jan. 21, Mann Assembly, Paterno Library; also available by Zoom
• “Understanding Undergraduate Research in STEM Fields: A Graduate Student Panel,” 7 p.m. Jan. 30, 100 Huck Life Sciences Building

February

• “Exploring Undergraduate Research Options at Penn State,” 5 p.m. Feb. 3, Mann Assembly, Paterno Library; also available by Zoom
• “How to Join the Scholarly Conversation: Developing Essential Undergraduate Research Skills,” 5 p.m., Feb. 10, 211A Pattee Library
• “Applying to the Undergraduate Exhibition,” 5 p.m. Feb. 17, Mann Assembly, Paterno Library; also available by Zoom

March

• “Presenting Your Research Poster,” 5 p.m. March 23, and 5 p.m. March 30, W13 Pattee Library

April

• “Designing and Creating Effective Research Posters,” 5:30 p.m. April 1, W13 Pattee Library

The University Fellowships Office and University Libraries are available to collaborate with interested parties to build and/or offer personalized events. Requests for information sessions and workshops can be sent to ugresearch@psu.edu.

Learn more about University Libraries at libraries.psu.edu.

The University Fellowships Office is part of Penn State Office of Undergraduate Education.