Undergrad research showcased at Capitol
Undergraduate students from Utah State University joined other students from Utah to display their projects in the Capitol Building Thursday.
Matt Spencer, a junior biology major, said, “[The display called Posters on the Hill gives] an opportunity to present your research and show it to the state legislature – the people who divvy up the money.”
The actual project Spencer was involved with sought new, safer ways to protect crops. His faculty mentor is Anne Anderson, professor of biology.
“USU is strongly committed to promoting opportunities for students to work with scholars engaged in research,” Joyce Kinkead, vice provost for undergraduate studies and research, said. “By research, we mean not only the laboratory science, but also scholarship and creative activity. In brief, any student in any discipline may engage in research.”
She said research is an integral part of teaching and learning. It is not a distraction to education.
Brent Miller, vice president for research, said, “I am proud to acknowledge the long tradition of research at Utah State University. We have led in innovation in agriculture sciences, ranging from the Agriculture Experiment Station’s ‘lecture train’ of 1904 to reach farmers and ranchers in Utah and Idaho, to being known as world authorities in several areas of irrigation engineering.
Kinkead said, “[USU] is not just about creating new knowledge, it’s about applying the knowledge we already have.”
Spencer said getting a hands-on experience, having positive feedback and the experience of applying for grants is, in some ways, worth more than the actual results of the research for students. He said USU has many opportunities for research.
Miller said one-half of the nation’s basic research is carried out at universities.
“The future of our national and state economies is inextricably linked with the future of our research universities such as Utah State University,” he said.
Legislatures are currently deciding how much money goes to USU and other universities in the state.
According to the Posters on the Hill pamphlet, state appropriations make up 34 percent of USU’s operating costs. Gifts, grants and contracts (often obtained through research) make up 35.5 percent of the operating costs.
Kinkead said this fact alone makes research important to the university.