For thirty-five years, the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research has promoted and supported substantial research endeavors by over 3,000 undergraduates at the University of New Hampshire. Through its programs UNH undergraduates serve as apprentice researchers alongside faculty mentors, earn credit for research work during the academic year, conduct independent projects over the summer that often extend into senior theses and capstones, travel across the globe to conduct research, and learn to polish their writing about research and share it with a wide audience. Students also receive funding to present their research at professional conferences across the country, and here at UNH, thousands of undergraduates each year participate in the annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC), which since 2016 has been coordinated campuswide by the Hamel Center.
Inquiry, where UNH undergraduates can share their research with a wide audience, is published through the Hamel Center. In the spirit of the Hamel Center’s high expectations of undergraduates, we asked three members of our student editorial board to help commemorate the Hamel Center’s 35th anniversary by writing feature articles on the impact of undergraduate research. We hope that Inquiry readers will celebrate with us by enjoying these snapshots of the Hamel Center’s invaluable work.
From Its Start, Undergraduate Research at UNH Has Inspired
Savannah Salvage, a senior neuroscience and behavior major (with forensics and justice studies minors), spoke with founding director Donna Brown to learn about the early days of UNH’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Savannah also shares how her own research experiences resonate with what she learned by interviewing one of the first students to reap the benefits of an undergraduate research grant at UNH.
Learning What They Are Capable Of: UNH Undergraduates Researching Abroad
Paige Fanneron, a first-year student in UNH’s College of Liberal Arts, writes about the unique international research opportunities offered through the Hamel Center and the positive impacts of these experiences on student researchers. Paige interviewed former program coordinator Georgeann Murphy and shares some accounts of impressive experiences of past international researchers.
The Versatility of Undergraduate Research and How It Can Impact a Student’s Experience
Anna Scheifele, a sophomore English and French major, explored the ongoing impact of the Hamel Center undergraduate research experiences by speaking with current student Sam Mercer. She learned about how Sam’s several research projects have shaped his understanding of work in his field and shares her own new perspective on undergraduate research.
