Student interest in the Undergraduate Research Program (UGR) has doubled in the last two years, according to the Program’s

application data.
At the start of the UGR

Program in 2011, there were 15 student-faculty pairs working to- gether in the first session of re- search study. This year the num- ber of student-faculty pairs has expanded to 30 for the 2013-2014 session.

The increased involve- ment in the program has steadily grown from its inception in 2011 until now. The number of appli- cants this year grew to 150, which was far greater than the number that could be accepted based on funds and faculty involvement. Due to the increase and impor-

tance of the program, the number of allowed acceptances is project- ed to change to accommodate the growing interest. The program even added a new session this past summer for students wanting to continue researching even out- side of the school year. Despite the short notice of the new ses- sion to the program, there were 19 student-faculty pairings for the summer of 2013.

“The program gave me great insight into the all that can be gained through research and introduced me to tools that I had no idea would be so useful,” said senior public accounting Anthony L. Fanelliwho aws involved in the Summer 2013 session. “Involve- ment gave me the opportunity to work hands on with a professor and have a strong opinion in the

research performed.”
The UGR Program pro-

vides a foundation for strength- ening research work, gaining

knowledge, and creating a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. Through the program, stu- dents are paired with a professor who they work closely with every step of the way.

As part of the program students are required to keep up a blog of their findings, sub- mit research summaries of their work, prepare a presentation for the end-of-year showcase, and submit findings to Pace’s Digital Commons or another publication

to be presented at a conference. “So many students are so dedicated and motivated to do this work,” said Interim Vice President for Undergraduate Edu- cation and one of the spearheads of the program Dr. Susan Maxam, “They have a love of research and making a difference, a passion that I share. Students who be- come involved in the program are better set up to meet their goals

and continue with success.”

Students from both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses are involved in the UGR Program. The number of students involved correlates to the populations of each campus with 22 of the 30 students for this year belonging to the NYC Cam- pus and the remaining 8 belong- ing to the Pleasantville Campus, according to the participant data

for the 2013-2014 session. Topics being studied this year range from finding solutions for those with disorders both technological and medical, the economic effectiveness of school system policies, cultural misunderstandings, and community and cultural arts. Due to the wide range of possible topics for a research study, the program en- courages students and professors from every major and discipline to become involved.

The students involved in the 2013-2014 session are from all disciplines and majors. Out of the Student researchers, 77 per- cent belong to the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, 13 percent belong to the Lubin School of Business, and 10 percent belong to the Seidenberg School of Com- puter Science and Information Systems. Students are not always partnered with professors of the same discipline, but the combina- tions that the pairs make provide the diversity of the UGR Pro- gram.

“Students are empow- ered by the incredible work that their peers have created and learned from and want to be a part of it,” said Maxam. “The in- creased interest may be due to the showcases of research work pre- sented at the end of each session, but as for any program or news, word of mouth is probably the most common form of advertising.”