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Show Monday, Oct. 18, 2010 Page 3 StatesmanCampus News Program makes student project ideas a reality By MEGAN ALLEN news senior writer This year, 50-60 Utah State undergraduate students will receive grant money to aid them in their research through the Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) program. Joyce Kinkead, associate vice president for research, said "URCO grants are designed to give students a chance to do independent research on a project of their own design." Kinkead said the types of research students do can be very broadly defined. "Research can be creating a sculpture, composing a piece of music, doing archival scholarly work and working at the laboratory bench." The URCO Grant program was created in 1975. Since then, more than 500 USU students have conducted research using money received from writing grant proposals. "Each URCO experience helps students learn how to learn, develop critical skills, create important one-on-one connections with professors and get an academic step ahead of the competition," Kinkead said. URCO grants are given by Kinkead's office. They will award up to $500, and the student's academic department will match the award. By providing financial support to undergraduates for research or creative projects that are not routine requirements for a course or degree program, URCO grants encourage students to engage in independent projects, she said. Students who are applying for the grants must submit an official research proposal. This teaches them the proper way and process of finding funding, Kinkead said. That is a crucial part of doing graduate-level research. According the URCO website, all grant applications must begin with an abstract. "An abstract provides the reader with a quick overview of the proposal and helps them understand the point immediately," the URCO website states. Students must then explain their project and justify their need for money from the university. They need to inform the faculty judges what they would use the money for. "URCO grants provide funds for materials and supplies. If travel is needed to conduct the research, that is a legitimate cost as well," Kinkead said. A detailed budget must be written out, starting with the total amount of money they are requesting from the URCO committee. In their applications, students need to describe their goals, and the outcome they hope to see at the end of the research. In 2008, an article was published that talked about the history of the URCO program. USU was ahead of its time in implementing URCO grants. Very few institutions had organized student-faculty cooperative research activities such as this. That spring, USU launched an URCO experiment with 60 student participants through the College of Agriculture and the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. There was such a positive response, that a plan was made to launch URCO on a university-wide basis. Any undergraduate student in good academic standing may apply for a grant. After all the applications have been turned in, a faculty panel reviews the proposals and selects the recipients. "We fund as many of the grants as possible, and it's really only if a grant is not truly about research or is badly written that it doesn't succeed," Kinkead said. "Some grants are returned for revision and resubmission. This is part of the learning process on how grants are written and submitted." Many URCO alumni say these grants, and the experience of writing the proposals, led to many opportunities in their education. Jessica Feigleson graduated from USU last May and is currently living in Taiwan. "Because of URCO I was able to perform an in-depth study in an area of interest to me. I was able to get a handson experience with research and oversee all facets of the research process," she said. "By learning how to conduct my own research and by becoming familiar Spring 2010 URCO winners • Douglas Ball - Physics • Rendon Barlow - Veterinary Science • Nicolena Baadsgaard - Ag systems • Katie Breivik - Physics • Kathita Chittaladakorn - Engineering • Julie Crozier - Psychology • Jessica Feigleson - Psychology • Kevin Graves - Psychology • Garth Hunt - Nutrition • Rebekah Kerr - Nutrition • Clifford King - Veterinary Science • Christine Magula - Disability center • Troy Munro - Physics • Carlos Read - Chemistry and biology • Sarah Stevens - Psychology • Jared Winings - Engineering with the funding process, I have learned how all the pieces of my classroom experiences could come together to help me answer questions using the research process." The deadline to apply for URCO grants to be used during spring semester of 2011 has passed, but the opportunity will be available again for next fall semester. Those applications must be turned in by Feb. 15. Application information can be found online or in Kinkead's office. "As a land-grant and research university, USU takes pride in the fact that students learn science by doing science, learn art by producing art and learn scholarship by writing history," Kinkead said. "Hands-on inquiry and study builds on classroom knowledge and goes beyond what can be accomplished through lecture. The application of knowledge is a hallmark of a land-grant university. URCO is a critical component of that mission." I continued from page 1 observed many of her friends struggling to attach files onto emails and witnessed many of them fail the Information CIL test more than once. "It's kind of concerning, but I feel to each their own," Nelson said. "As long as technology keeps on going we are just going to have to keep adapting." Many students are not used to minor tasks such as talking on the phone, because Facebook and text messaging give them alternative ways to communicate, she said. She said she also noticed USU students do not check their e-mails very often because they either have multiple e-mail accounts or are using more immediate means to communicate. "These students need to learn to be patient to foster scholarship," Nief said. McBride said students want instant gratification in their schooling, because they are used to receiving instant answers through technology. Britni Manning, a freshman majoring in psychology, said the way technology gives people instant gratification makes it addicting, and though many say they are not addicted to it, they are. She said she has noticed technology hinder her and her classmates' ability to acquire needed research skills. "The Internet is the biggest resource and people don't know how to cite sources in textbooks or even how to look for the sources," Manning said. Students are frustrated by assignments that cannot be done promptly or lack intricate directions, McBride said. "Students need to live with some anxiety, some ambiguity and some boredom with class assignments," McBride said. "It helps to tell the students that there are no right or wrong answers, just better or worse answers." The Mindset List began in 1998 and has been updated every year PoliceBlotter Friday, Oct. 8 • USU Police responded to several individuals on the Aggie Bull. Upon arrival the Officer located four ladies wrapped in towels hiding behind the Bull. The Officer explained to the four ladies that they could not be on the Bull, especially naked. • USU Police responded to Bullen Hall for several minors consuming alcohol. The minors had left the area before the Officer arrived. Police are investigating. Saturday, Oct. 9 • USU Police observed five completely naked male individuals on the back of the Aggie Bull on 1000 North and 800 East. All five individuals were holding on to each other in a "Choo Choo Train fashion." Upon arrival of the officer the individuals jumped off the bull and ran across the street naked and into the PineView Apartments. Sunday, Oct. 10 • USU Police responded to the Lundstrom Center for a complaint of several individuals in a truck being loud. Upon arrival the officer located several individuals in the back of a truck. They were warned about the noise. • Police responded to a fire alarm at the Water Lab. The alarm was activated by a work crew who was cleaning asbestos in the building. The dusk particles accidentally activated the system. The alarm was silenced and reset without any further problems. • USU Police responded to a fire alarm at Jones Hall. It was learned that the occupant was cooking eggs and overcooked them. • USU Police assisted the Logan City Police in looking for several individuals throwing water balloons by Aggie Terrace. The individuals were not located. Campus & Community INT F L players help support cancer Former Utah State University athlete, Chris Cooley, along with other members of the National Football League, is actively involved in the "Real Men Wear Pink - NFL Stars Tackle Breast Cancer" campaign. Cooley appeared in a segment on NBC's "Today Show" Oct. 15 that highlighted his involvement with breast cancer awareness. In the Peter Alexander report, Cooley said he became involved after his mother, Nancy, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Now, two years later, Cooley remains involved in efforts to bring awareness to the disease. He has sponsored a one-day survivor's camp, and his team, the Washington Redskins, is a leading NFL organization in the campaign. Cooley, along with other players in the NFL, will sport pink gloves and cleats to raise awareness, proving real men do wear pink. Cooley played football at Logan High School in Logan, Utah, and came to Utah State University in 1999 and was actively involved in the football program. In 2004 he earned the Athlete of the Year award. He was a third-round selection by the Washington Redskins in the 2004 NFL draft. He was the Redskins nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the year award for his many contributions to the community. During his years at USU, Cooley was extensively involved in the Department of Art, taking a range of courses. Ceramics and painting were among his interests. - megan.allen@aggiemail.usu.edu Class: Professors describe students' evolving perspective sors see their students as "ghoulishly stupid," he said. He has also observed that parents latch onto their children more in recent years, especially while attempting to prepare them for college. Lisa Hancock, program administrator for new student orientation, said she agrees with McBride because she has witnessed an increasing number of phone calls about college entrance made by students' parents. "Sometimes the parent does everything for the student," Hancock said. "I think these incoming students are just as capable, but maybe don't have the experience they need to be at a university." Kirsten Nelson, a freshman majoring in environmental science, said the only thing her parents did to help her in her preparation for college was show her the USU website. Though Nelson said she felt well prepared for college, she has Briefs so professors can better understand their students' lifestyle and levels of comprehension. Nief gave examples of previous lists and said one point he made on the list published in 2002 was that students only knew Michael Jackson to be a white man. The list for 2006 stated that the control-alt-delete concept was as basic as A, B, C. The Mindset Lists are posted on the website www. beloit.edu/mindset. All of these tidbits that link students to their correlating graduating classes are information professors can study, understand and use to adjust their teaching methods to better cater to the students needs. "This is the point: enlightenment is hard work," McBride said. "But, we must try to get it done for ourselves and for others." - catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu. edu Contact USU Police at 797-1939 for non-emergencies. Anonymous reporting line: 797-5000 EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911 • USU Police responded to the Living Learning Community for a suspicious person. Police contacted the individuals who were out for a nightly walk and taking pictures of each other. The individuals were identified and released at the scene. Tuesday, Oct. 12 • Police responded to west parking lot of the Ray B. West building on a suspicious incident. There were several empty 22 Remington bullet shells and two bullets of the same make in one of the parking stalls. Wednesday, Oct. 13 • Police responded to the Fieldhouse on a student who had a seizure. The student informed the police that he wanted his wife to take him to the Wellness Center to be evaluated. The wife arrived and transported the individual to the Center. 11 Compiled by Catherine Meidell New club teaching Italian culture The new USU Italian Club is holding meetings every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Old Main Room 203. Oct. 19 will be their second meeting of the school year. The club welcomes people who speak Italian as well as those interested in learning. During the meetings, the club will study the Italian language and participate in cultural activities involving Italian food, movies and music. It will be a way for those who have studied Italian to continue practicing. Italian Club leaders will be prepared to educate anyone who wants to be more involved in Italian culture. Club members hope the club will eventually lead to offered Italian courses at USU for credit toward a degree. It is an option for students who are looking for a language to study in creative arts because Italy plays a significant role in the world of music and in the history of art. All who are interested in learning more about the Italian language as well as the culture of the Italian people are asked to join in order to increase the club's numbers. - catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu. edu Workshop helps with invention program The Technology Commercialization office at Utah State University recently launched the USU Inventor Portal. All USU faculty and graduate students are invited to attend the Inventor Portal Workshop, Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m. in the FACT Lab at the MerrillCazier Library. The electronic Inventor Portal streamlines the submission process for disclosures and allows inventors to view the status of existing inventions from any web-browser. Additional dates and times will be available as needed. Interested parties may call Karen Boghossian to schedule a private workshop for their department: 435-797-9603 or karen.boghossian@usu.edu. For more information about USU's Inventor Portal and to RSVP, visit the web. 11 Co mp ile d from staff and media reports |