I’ve had several students ask me about how they can get connected with faculty for undergraduate research opportunities, so I thought it would be good to put my usual advice here for all students.
The first thing I would say is that students can get involved with research from the very start. Some students think that they need to wait until they’ve entered their major or even longer before they are ready for research. I think many faculty welcome students who are just starting at Penn State. From a faculty member’s perspective, if I have the opportunity to work with you for 4 years, that’s fantastic. My research team can train you on what you need to know. As long as you are reliable, willing to work hard, and can work with others, you can probably do research even in your first semester.
Here are a few different ways that you can explore research opportunities and get involved. First, just talk with any professors in your classes. After class or at office hours, just ask them what type of research they and other faculty in the department do. If any of the information you get sounds interesting, follow up. Get the faculty member’s contact information, and make an appointment to talk with them about your interests. Ask if you could visit their lab or sit in on a research meeting to learn more.
Second, the Office of Undergraduate Education here at Penn State has a web site on Undergraduate Research: https://undergradresearch.psu.edu/ From that page you can search under keywords and other filters to find faculty that have active research projects where undergraduates are involved. While the database doesn’t have every opportunity, it’s a good place to find some opportunities.
Third, at all of our HHD departments, you’ll find a research page that often includes links to faculty labs, active research projects or other information on research opportunities. I’ve put one link for each department below. You can learn about the research that happens in a department or lab, and then follow up with the faculty involved with the projects to learn more. Again, a visit during office hours can help get some more information, and then a chance to observe for a few hours in a lab or attend a research meeting or presentation can help you see if this is something you would like to try.
CSD Research Labs and Active Projects
HPA Active Projects
SHM Research Facilities and Current Research
HDFS Active Projects
KINES Research Labs
NUTR Research Labs and Initiatives
RPTM Current Research
In addition, in HHD we have collaborative research centers where many faculty conduct their research. You can check out that list of them and look more into the opportunities there. Each center usually has a faculty member who leads the research activities in the center. And, HHD students, of course are not limited to research with HHD faculty. At other Penn State colleges, you’ll find similar information on faculty research and research centers that you can explore.
Finally, during this first month, many of our departments work with our student organizations to highlight research opportunities. For example, Kinesiology has a Research Showcase on Thursday August 30 from 4-5:30 PM. Check out college and department emails and social media to learn about these events, or visit the HHD Events web page
So, I hope that gives both new and returning students a glimpse at how they can get started. Doing research with faculty is a great way to learn and enhance your Penn State experience. Give it a try!