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How easy is it for undergrads to get involved in research?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy is it for undergrads to get involved with professors doing research? I'm a senior and have been accepted into other Florida universities. I'd really like to get involved in research as soon as possible for a variety of reasons. If anyone has any insight into physics research in particular that would be greatly appreciated, however general information about undergraduate research is also welcome. Thanks in advance!

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UCF Students Help Distribute Donor Funding via Collaborative Philanthropy Project

Through extensive research and mentorship, UCF students recently helped the Central Florida Foundation identify local nonprofits with projects in need of funding, resulting in grants totaling $115,000.

By Evan Chiovari ’21 | July 31, 2024

If you had $100,000 to give to local charities, where would you donate the funds? For a group of UCF students, this question became a reality.

In Spring 2024, 12 students in the undergraduate nonprofit management program housed at UCF Downtown influenced the distribution of $115,000 to philanthropic organizations around Central Florida. This was the main objective of Nonprofit Leadership Seminar , the program’s capstone course.

Stephanie Krick, senior lecturer of public administration in the College of Community Innovation and Education , says the course teaches students how community foundations distribute donors’ money in responsible and meaningful ways.

“It’s a strategic philanthropy project where students learn the importance of investing in sustainable and reliable organizations,” Krick says. “This course is often the first opportunity students have to look at philanthropy from a donor’s perspective.”

To accomplish their goal, Krick’s students conducted grant research on behalf of the Central Florida Foundation. Established in 1994, the foundation drives social change through strategic investments and collaborative partnerships. Sandi Vidal, the foundation’s vice president of community strategies and initiatives, says its mission is to build community by building philanthropy.

“We focus on working with charitable investors to make a difference,” Vidal says. “We think about various problems in the community and how to apply capital to help solve them.”

Working closely with mentors, the students utilized community portfolios intended to fund various causes, such as animal welfare, senior care, Jewish services, support for medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s or lung diseases, and homeless services. After researching nonprofits related to these causes, the students chose three or four from each category.

Victor Suarez says his group took a top-down approach to choosing the most appropriate nonprofits.

“We looked at all local organizations in the portfolio and reached out to the ones that were aligned with the foundation’s goals of sustainability and long-term solutions,” Suarez says. “We contacted them and discussed their needs. If we felt they fit the essential specifications, we visited them and asked more questions.”

The students toured the select organizations and learned about projects in need of funding. Using this information, the students then identified which organizations aligned best with donor interests and presented their findings to the Central Florida Foundation board of directors.

“The students didn’t make the final decision, but they shared their research, answered questions and explained why they believed these were great organizations and projects for the foundation to invest in,” Krick says. “However, the board voted on the students’ recommendations and ultimately approved them all.”

Based on these recommendations, the Central Florida Foundation granted a total of $35,000 from the Jewish services and services to the poor portfolios. That included $9,000 to The Sharing Center for case management certifications, $7,500 to the Orlando Torah Academy for its ESL curriculum and supplies, and $18,500 to the Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando for its Pearlman Food Pantry project.

The foundation also allocated a total of $35,000 from the animal welfare portfolio to three related nonprofits. Little Ray Children’s Books received $5,000 for new computers, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando received $10,000 for an animal transportation vehicle, and the Central Florida Zoo received $20,000 for its peccary habitat.

Additionally, the foundation distributed $35,000 from the seniors portfolio to caregiver center Share the Care for its behavioral health services.

Suarez says the project helped him understand the importance of examining nonprofits and showed him the many ways they can be organized.

“A lot of the bigger nonprofits knew exactly what they needed to move forward while other nonprofits were unsure of their needs,” Suarez says. “I think it’s important for nonprofits to analyze themselves to understand what they need to be successful.”

Looking ahead, Krick hopes to create more collaborative opportunities for her students by utilizing the downtown campus’ proximity to numerous community partners and nonprofit organizations.

“We’re seeking to develop partnerships that are beneficial to students, organizations and communities,” she says. “That’s what I’m looking for — any opportunity to have my students out in the field and learning from the people who are doing the work.”

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Research Positions Database

The research database is for internal use only . Please contact [email protected] to find out more.

Faculty member contact information is password protected. Students receive the access code by attending a How to: Get Started in Undergraduate Research workshop or meeting with an OUR Peer Mentor.

If you have previously received the code but lost it, or if it has expired, please fill out the Database code request .

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Research Participation

Sona Credits

Sona is the UCF Psychology Research Participation System. This link is for students who are looking to serve as a participant in a psychology study (usually in exchange for course credit).

Refer to the  SONA Participant Instructions , it provide information on how to create an account, login, etc.

Do NOT click on Sona if you are interested in serving as a research assistant (RA). If you are interested in being an RA, click on ‘RA Match’ below or see our undergraduate research page to learn about research opportunities.

This website is intended to assist current UCF undergraduate students in finding a placement as a research assistant in one or more of the research laboratories of the department.

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UW Students Receive UNCF/Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Award

The honor includes up to a $25,000 scholarship for the 2013-14 academic year, as well as eligibility to be selected to participate in a Merck Summer Research Internship Program. The award is intended to help African American undergraduate students who are interested in science further their education and pursuit of science and engineering careers. It is presented by the United Negro College Fund and the Merck Company Foundation.

“I’m very humbled by it,” Opara said. “To have such a rigorous selection committee select you from several people that applied encourages me to strive for my goals.”

Tekola echoed his sentiment. “I’m very honored,” she said. “I definitely see it for the privilege it is, and I want to honor them in that and strive for excellence.”

Opara and Tekola will attend the UNCF/Merck Fellows Day event, June 16-17, in Pennsylvania or New Jersey where they will be formally recognized for their achievements.

Both students participate in OMA&D programs that support students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, including the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). Opara is also involved in the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) and the McNair Post-baccalaureate Program , where he benefited from the mentorship of director Teri Ward and associate director Gene Kim, respectively. Tekola, a transfer student who is in her third quarter at UW, also affiliates with TRiO Student Support Services .

While both credit these programs for encouraging their scientific endeavors, each come from different backgrounds and are interested in different fields of study.

Opara moved to the United States from Nigeria at the age of six. His father, James, is a physician and his mother, Mercy, is a nurse. They brought the family that includes four children to the U.S. for greater economic opportunities.

“We have long since gained American citizenship and my parents fulfilled the credentials necessary to continue their medical practice as U.S. residents,” he said. “They have been practicing here for several years. My parents are very helpful and are my biggest role models.”

From a young age, Opara has had a profound interest in science. Originally, he wanted to study biology in college. But after taking a high school chemistry class, he liked them both so he thought, why not combine the two?

“Ever since then, I’ve been interested in pursuing biochemistry,” he said.

After graduating from Walla Walla Valley Academy, Opara gained his first lab experience that summer under Dr. David Lindsey in the Department of Biology at Walla Walla University, where he aided their work on elucidating the pathway of the ubiquitin protease upbA. Since coming to the UW, he has continued his research activities.

In the bioengineering lab of Dr. Patrick Stayton, Opara worked on a project aimed at enhancing antitumor immune response, where he focused on characterizing the level of gene knockdown using smart polymers as delivery vehicles for small interfering RNA. He also participated in the UW Amgen Scholars Program last summer. As an Amgen Scholar, Opara worked in the medicinal chemistry lab of Dr. William Atkins to create a new method for measuring the concentration of quantum dots in solution, which are currently being developed as biomedical devices, using surface plasmon resonance and analytical ultracentrifugation.

Opara is currently working in collaboration with the Stayton and Atkins labs as he aims to develop polymer-nanodisc conjugates to study how the pH-responsive polymers developed in the Stayton lab interact with lipid membranes.

Opara also participated in the Yale School of Medicine Summer Medical and Dental Education Program after his freshman year. In his spare time, he volunteers for the Undergraduate Research Program as an undergraduate research leader, tutors chemistry for the UW Athletic Department and is a volunteer pianist at a local nursing home.

After graduating from the UW, Opara wants to go on to medical school and become a physician.

“I want to combine the science with working with patients on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “I would like to do family practice.”

Tekola’s interest in environmental science began when she was home-schooled at a young age.

“It was a lot of hands-on learning,” she said. “I was always attracted to wetlands and soil, and I would climb the fence to get in the delineation ponds and try to identify organisms from my field books. That was my class because I could learn what I wanted to.”

When she started public school in seventh grade, she admits she was distracted by “going down some wrong roads” and “forgot about her passions.” At a low spot in her life, it was a chance meeting with a stranger that reignited her dreams.

“I found this man in the stream that I used to hang out in,” she recalled. “I would watch him and ask him what he was doing. He said he was building a blueprint for a beaver fence. I said, ‘that’s cool. Can I help you?’”

The man turned out to be a senior ecologist with the Washington State Department of Ecology and Tekola volunteered with him a few times. He got her a job working for the Washington Conservation Corps during her senior year of high school while she was taking night classes.

“It was just really amazing to see the difference we could make in a few weeks, and how many trees we could plant, how much blackberry we could remove, and the difference as one person we could make,” Tekola said. “I definitely think I regained my purpose.”

Tekola participated in the Running Start program through Green River Community College where she completed her associate’s degree. She transferred to the UW last fall.

Tekola is currently working on an undergraduate research project through professor Tim Essington’s Aquatic and Fisheries lab. The project examines how the hypoxic conditions in the Hood Canal are affecting the behavior of zooplankton, a food source for fish. She hopes to help gather some of the samples in the Hood Canal this summer.

In addition to her work in the lab, Tekola is busy with several other activities. She works for the Friends of the Cedar River and the Salmon Naturalist Program. She also volunteers as a lab assistant for ocean certification for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Tekola plans to move on to complete a master’s degree and a Ph.D. She would like to become a scientist and an activist, while remaining involved in her community. Ultimately she wants to find solutions to stop climate change.

“Whether I study oceans, or whether I study the earth, or whether I plant trees or teach people about the environment, it’s all different solutions for climate change,” she said.

For more information on the UNCF/Merck Science Initiative awards, visit http://umsi.uncf.org .