I joined Inquiry as a student editor in fall 2021, and since then I have learned about several fascinating research projects conducted by talented undergraduates at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Whether it was by reviewing an article draft by a research student or by writing their bio for Inquiry, I have become more familiar with the research process and how it impacts students. As a sophomore majoring in French and English, I was intimidated at first because I assumed that all researchers were STEM students. But as I read about the Inquiry authors’ research experiences, I learned about the broad range of disciplines that undergraduate students choose to study independently through programs at the Hamel Center.
The Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research supports undergraduate research through many different programs, including the Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program (REAP) and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). Students from any discipline can apply for these and other Hamel Center grants to conduct independent research on any topic they’re interested in. The students work closely with very supportive and experienced faculty mentors in that field, who oversee and advise them through the research project. In all of the projects I’ve heard about, students enjoy the independence of research but also strongly value the connections they create with their mentors, graduate students, and others involved in the collaboration. The Hamel Center is still quite new to me, but in the past six months editing and writing for Inquiry, I have learned that the Hamel Center encourages students to view research as a way to build on their current passions and work toward their goals.
To learn more about the impact of research on a student’s undergraduate career, I interviewed Samuel Mercer. Sam is a junior from Sanford, Maine, majoring in chemical engineering. Since he began his college education at the age of fifteen, he has thrived as an undergraduate researcher here at UNH. Sam told me that the summer before starting at UNH, he devoted a lot of time planning which courses he would take and which clubs he wanted to join, but what first struck his interest was the prospect of research. “I was interested in research, and I knew that UNH was really well known for research,” he says.
In the first week of school, Sam got his first taste of research by applying for the Innovation Scholars Program through the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Then, after just two months as a college student, Sam started contacting faculty members about how to get more involved. He discovered the Hamel Center’s Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program (REAP), for which his chemical engineering professor Dr. Nan Yi served as his mentor in summer 2019. The next spring Sam was awarded a SURF by the Hamel Center, but before he could begin his research, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Sam’s project had to be revised as a result of the need to work remotely instead of in the lab, but looking back, he says that although it was a struggle to complete the project, the overall process taught him the value of perseverance. Sam published a commentary about his SURF experience during the pandemic in the 2021 issue of Inquiry.
Sam has always been interested in energy, and his current project investigates converting methane into a substance that is more economically and environmentally friendly (methane conversion catalysis). Recently, he encountered a setback when his catalyst didn’t succeed in converting the methane; at this Sam laughs that from this observation has grown yet another branch of research within his larger project. With nearly three years of research experience under his belt, Sam shrugs off challenges such as these and welcomes any question or hypothesis that can be further tested if it means he still has a goal to work toward. When asked what advice he would give his past self or a new researcher, he suggested going into every project with an open mind and a positive attitude even if the area of research is unappealing or not your forte. “Even if you don’t like it at the very beginning, I think there’s a way to find the skill sets in something else that you like much more.”
Approaching new opportunities without preconceptions and “what-ifs” is what makes a good researcher, and it looks as if Sam has honed this skill over the years and will continue to do so. For him, what is so cool about research is its versatility and how there is no one perfect way to find the answer to a problem. “There are millions of ways to solve it, but what’s the way you’re going to choose? That’s up to you. That’s the thing I like about research; it’s kind of its own little journey.”
Working as an editor for Inquiry has taught me just how driven and forward-thinking student researchers are. I was not only astounded and intrigued by Sam’s accomplishments and ambition, but by his zeal for research (and for his side-hobbies and interests), which is rare, admirable, and inspiring. He has taken advantage of multiple different opportunities offered by the Hamel Center and showed how one research experience builds upon another. For sure, the Hamel Center should be proud for opening so many doors for students seeking independent research over the past thirty-five years. It has made a positive impact on students from all disciplines who are interested in doing more for their communities and advancing research within their respective fields, giving them the added bonus of meeting new people, learning more about themselves, and contributing to a greater cause. I am inspired to apply for a research grant and start an independent study of my own. As for what issue or topic I would study, I don’t know yet. I have a long list of interests that I have to narrow down. For now, I’m focusing on the project of planning for studying abroad in France next spring. I am so grateful for my position on Inquiry’s editorial board and anticipate discovering even more about undergraduate research as I go forth in my academic career.
