Every day, thousands of students pack into classrooms to learn how chemicals interact, what the human genome looks like, and how to assemble dozens of plastic molecular models. When the textbooks are closed and the tests are distributed, their knowledge is put to the test – at least on paper. They might do well on lab reports and get an A for memorizing some key concepts and definitions. But are they really getting the full experience? Are they really learning?
Founded in 1996, the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP) helps students take that extra step in their academic experience. Created by current GUROP Director Sonia Jacobson and former Executive Vice President William Cooper, the program connects undergraduates and faculty members through innovative faculty-mentored research projects.
170 students currently participate in GUROP this semester, which is now under the umbrella operation of the Georgetown Office of Fellowships, Awards, and Research (GOFAR) directed by Dr. John Glavin. About half are science majors studying biology, chemistry, or physics in the College. Other participants include history, public policy, and economics students, as well as an increasing number of social science majors, especially psychology. Although most undergraduates are unpaid, they receive a special notation on their transcript designating that they participated in research. However, some receive a monetary award based on financial aid, and there are even opportunities for full-time paid research positions in the summer.
Above all, GUROP serves as a gateway to valuable intellectual mentorship between students and professors. “The best thing about our program is the strong student-faculty relationships that develop,” says Jacobson. “Research often occurs over the course of more than one semester, which gives students an incredible opportunity to develop and learn through first-hand work.”
Mathew Hoffmann (COL ’14), who is researching methanol fuel cells in his first semester with GUROP, believes that his experience has been very rewarding. “Working in the lab helps me apply many of the techniques I learned in class,” says Hoffmann. “We’re working with alternative energy sources and breaking new ground. It’s very exciting to be a part of something so important and so new.”
For anxious upperclassmen worrying about finding a job, GUROP also has some practical benefits. Lauren Tuckley, the Research Resource Coordinator of GOFAR, understands that the job market does not look too friendly right now. “It’s a vital asset to have research experience that supplements your coursework,” Tuckley says. “The skill set acquired from participating in scholarly research is invaluable in the marketplace.” Graduate programs are also very difficult to get into. For example, in 2010, George Washington University accepted just 5 out of 300 applicants into its psychology program.
For many students, researching with GUROP adds a new dimension to their undergraduate experience. However, both Jacobson and Tuckley believe that its full potential has not yet been realized. In particular, they are working on a new searchable database that will streamline the application process. GOFAR is also implementing a new outreach group, the Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, to gain more interest in research, as well as to increase the program’s visibility on campus.
So what does the future hold for GUROP and other participants in research? “We are trying to get students to consider careers that they would not have considered otherwise,” Jacobson says. “Instead of moving on to the State Department or medical school, some students become convinced that pursuing a PhD and performing research is a more suitable career.”
While Hoffmann is still figuring out his future plans, other students are more certain. Tyler White (COL ’14), a psychology major working at the Georgetown Autism and Communication Disorders Clinic, knows that research has affirmed his career aspirations within the mental health field. “For the past few months, as I have been reading through dozens of clinical reports, I've been paging through documents that profoundly reflect and affect peoples' lives,” says White. “The integration of research work with clinical practice is tremendously important; it is real in its implications, and playing a hand in the development of scientific knowledge is something I would love to spend the rest of my life doing."
