Pranav is member of the Student Undergraduate Research Council and a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. He’s just spent the summer researching the gut microbiota of sea turtles. His biggest advice for students interested in undergraduate research?
Having a great connection with your faculty mentor helps a lot in research-related endeavors.
Students conducting research need a faculty mentor. These faculty members are experts in their field who guide new researchers through the research process, from honing their research questions to collecting data to presenting their results. Whether it’s getting permission for research on animals and human subjects, finding resources, completing an independent research project, publishing your work, finding funding, and applying to graduate school, you will need a mentor (and their endorsement). Keeping a positive connection with your faculty mentor is essential!
Some top tips for working with your faculty mentor include:
-Set expectations early on
-Be on time and prepared for meetings
-Give your faculty mentor plenty of notice for requests for time away, letters of recommendation, etc
-Take notes and ask for help when you need it
Want to learn more? Attend an OUR workshop this fall!