From the Director
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) launched in November of 2023 and had a great first year of operations in 2024, supporting students and campus partners. Our goal this year was to effectively communicate our mission, vision, and values to the campus we serve and build the programmatic, academic, and infrastructural foundations that would allow us to scale and sustain our efforts in the years to come.
Our vision statement most captures the spirit of our unit: OUR sustains a vibrant heartbeat of welcoming campus-based undergraduate research community and opportunity. We seek to provide programs and services, open learning and coursebased resources, and other forms of support that assist students of all backgrounds and levels of experience and campus partners.
Regarding our work with campus partners - we wish to be clear that while we consider it our mission to empower UMD students and campus partners through our programs, services, and courses, we also recognize that we're not the only game in town. Campus partners have long operated successful undergraduate research initiatives in many heterogeneous forms and sizes - programs, courses, structured research engagements with faculty, grant-based opportunities, etc We hope that partners will see us as a centralized resource that is as dedicated to the success of their initiatives as our own.
We are excited for the next year to come! We just launched ForagerOne and encourage students and campus partners to use this new resource dedicated to connecting undergraduate students and campus partners based on shared creative, research, and scholarly interests. We are running our first OURS courses in Spring 2025 and have calls for proposals to enable campus partners to integrate with existing and new OUR programs this year.
Sincerely,
Patrick/Patricia Killion Director: Office of Undergraduate Research Director: The First-Year Innovation & Research Experience
SPIRE STUDENT AWARDED BEST ORAL PRESENTATION AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE
SPIRE Student Rafael Mendez presented research he worked on during SPIRE on quantum noise dynamics at the National Society of Black Physicists-National Society of Hispanic Physicists Conference in Houston, Texas. The conference awarded him Best Oral Presentation for his talk.
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AWARDEE
PRESENTS AT BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SOCIETY CONFERENCE
2024 Excellence in Research Awardee Yassmin Abbouchi presented a research poster, “Understanding the Extracellular Matrix Structure of Lymph Nodes During an Immune Response,” at the 2024 Biomedical Engineering Society Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
Research ERA Awardee Anushka Poddar presented at URD was published in Biology Open. Poddar is a second author on the paper published in September, 2024.
950+ ENROLL IN UROC OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE
OUR’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities &
SPIRE student Grace Huang was awarded the Honors College Integrated Life Sciences 2024 Outstanding Research Award, recognizing dedication, commitment, and contribution to research.
Competencies (UROC) Open Educational Resource became available to UMD students, faculty, and staff beginning in Fall 2024. UROC includes five modules: Undergraduate Research 101, UR Toolkit, AI & Information Literacy, Taking Action, and Essential Documents. It is openly licensed and accessible through Open Learning and MOST Commons for use and adaptation.
FIRE Faculty Leader Dr. Jaclyn Bruner awarded 2024 DoGood Campus Fund Grant for “Collective Memory of College Park” project.
FIRE Faculty Leader Dr. Elizabeth Massey selected as a 2024 - 2025 Arts for All Faculty Fellow.
FIRE WELCOMES 1,000+ ATTENDEES AT THE FIRE SUMMIT 2024
FIRE welcomed more than a thousand attendees from the UMD Community to The FIRE Summit 2024 to celebrate the tenth cohort of FIRE Semester 3 students. Held in the Edward St. John Learning & Teaching Center, The FIRE Summit showcased the research and creative work of more than 520 FIRE students completing their FIRE experience.
FIRE & IRIE ALUMNI PRESENTS AT ANNUAL MEETING OF SOUTHERN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
FIRE & IRIE Alumni Rygel Yance presented his research titled “Do Light Rails Provide a Track to Cleaner Air?” alongside FIRE student Landon Thomas at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Southern Economic Association in Washington, D.C.
FIRE ALUMNA PRESENTS AT NORTH AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM FOR BAT RESEARCH
FIRE Alumna Jillian Kaiser presented her honors thesis research at the 2024 North American Symposium for Bat Research in Guadalajara, Mexico. Kaiser was awarded travel funding from the UMD Biology department to present her talk “Urinary neopterin reveals sex differences in immune activation in greater spear-nosed bats.”
Office of Undergraduate Research
OUR was established to serve UMD students, faculty, and staff across all colleges and schools. OUR aims to empower students of all levels of experience and campus partners to engage and succeed in inquiry, creative activity, and scholarship. We work to provide and sustain a vibrant heartbeat of welcoming, campus-based undergraduate research community and opportunity.
OUR office works to provide programs, courses, educational resources, events, and workshops in alignment with our three strategic values: Culture & Community, Opportunity, and Learning Through Research. Serving not just the undergraduate students on our campus, we work to ensure services, resources, and support are available to UMD faculty and staff engaged in the practice of undergraduate research.
OUR is led by Dr. Patrick/Patricia Killion, with support from six team members. We are located on the second floor of the Atlantic Building Members of the OUR team are available weekly for office hours. They are available to students, faculty, staff, and UMD programs to discuss opportunities to support or expand undergraduate research at UMD.
Mission
OUR empowers UMD students of all levels of experience and campus partners to engage and succeed in inquiry, creative activity, and scholarship.
Values
Vision
OUR sustains a vibrant heartbeat of welcoming campus-based undergraduate research community and opportunity.
Culture & Community Opportunity
Broaden culture, presence, and community around undergraduate research and scholarly activities across OUR campus.
Ensure undergraduate research opportunities for OUR students of all levels of experience and campus partners.
Learning Through Research
Support OUR campus partners in developing and refining research-based learning engagements.
Open Learning & Courses Programs
IRIE
Immersive Research Internship Experience
First-Year Innovation & Research Experience
SPIRE
Student-Proposed Innovation & Research Experience
Events, Workshops, & Resources
Undergraduate Research Day
OUR's Undergraduate Research Day, held each Spring, features presentations from over 400 students. Learn more on page 10.
OUR Online Resources
Research opportunities at UMD and beyond, journals, guidance on developing posters, and more are available on OUR’s website.
Facilitated through UMD’s Open Learning, UROC provides guidance to students seeking research opportunities.
OURS100 is a one-credit, half term, asynchronous course designed to prepare and guide students in finding their first research experience at UMD.
OURS308 students develop leadership capacities by serving as peer mentors to OURS100 students.
Maryland Opportunities for Research Experiences
200+ campus-based research opportunities for undergraduates
Summer Undergraduate Research Conference
The Summer Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC), held annually in the summer, celebrates campus-based research with more than 150 student participants. Learn more on page 11.
IRIE
The Immersive Research Internship Experience presents a unique opportunity for students and faculty to dedicate eight weeks during the summer to research. Operated in collaboration with FIRE, IRIE Research Interns work closely with a faculty leader and a small group of undergraduate peers on focused research projects across campus. In addition, Research Interns attend professional development workshops and present their research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference
IMMERSIVE RESEARCH INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
During summer 2024, OUR welcomed 112 IRIE Research Interns. Research Interns joined one of the 16 FIRE streams for eight weeks to engage in hands-on research while also gaining valuable professional development skills. Hosted by OUR, Research Interns attended program-wide seminars and professional development discussions. This summer, IRIE welcomed speakers from local and governmental agencies, including guests from the Library of Congress, the National Aquarium, the U S Department of State, the National Quantum Laboratory, and the National Cancer Institute, during two “Sector Days” workshops. The UMD Career Center joined Research Interns to help students conceptualize the research skills they had developed as transferable, professional skills. To conclude the summer, Research Interns presented their research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference.
SPIRE
STUDENT-PROPOSED
INNOVATION
& RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
The Student-Proposed Innovation & Research Experience (SPIRE) allows UMD undergraduates to engage closely with faculty mentors on summer research projects. This program allows participants from various academic and artistic disciplines to propose research projects with the support of a faculty member on campus. SPIRE students conduct research for 20 hours weekly while receiving funding to support their summer activities.
In the summer of 2024, 24 SPIRE students collaborated with faculty members from a wide range of fields Their research encompassed social sciences, including sociology and psychology, as well as natural and biological sciences, such as cell biology and biochemistry. Additionally, participants explored engineering disciplines like bioengineering and engaged with the humanities and creative arts, including architecture.
In addition to research, SPIRE students engaged in several workshops, including sessions to work through research challenges, design and receive feedback on posters, and learn about doctoral programs SPIRE students also were invited to professional development workshops hosted by OUR and organized by the IRIE program. SPIRE students shared their research with the UMD community at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference in July.
FIRE FIRST-YEAR INNOVATION & RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2024, the First-Year Innovation & Research Experience (FIRE) provides first-year UMD students with a faculty-mentored research experience that drives accelerated career readiness and opportunity. FIRE Students engage in three consecutive semesters of research training, authentic research engagement, and professional development Students join one of sixteen research streams after their first semester in the program. In streams, students engage in hands-on, authentic research mentored by full-time faculty members. Students share their research at the end of the third semester at the FIRE Summit. After completing three semesters of FIRE, over 100 students continue into leadership positions in their streams as Peer Research Mentors. These students provide peer mentorship and guidance to students as they enter FIRE Streams
2024 FIRE Headlines
6,408 Total Program Participants
654 FIRE Semester 1 Students in 2024
2024 Pitch Perfect Research Competition
The first annual Pitch Perfect Research Competition allowed FIRE Semester 3 and Peer Research Mentors to present their research in 90-second pitches. Attendees voted, and Gene Silencing’s FIRE Semester 3 Student won first place They will defend their trophy in next year's competition.
FIRE Fall Welcome
FIRE Semester 1 Students Focus on Climate Change
This Fall, FIRE Semester 1 students explored multidisciplinary approaches to the Grand Challenge of Climate change. Teams developed Infographics highlighting their findings.
MSI Launches Exhibit in Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
MSI students curated an exhibit featuring research conducted during IRIE. The exhibit was on display in MSPAL through the Fall 2024 semester.
On Tuesday, September 17th, FIRE Semester 1 students learned about each of the 16 FIRE Streams, and connected with FIRE Semester 3 students, Peer Research Mentors, and met FIRE faculty during the 2024 FIRE Fall Welcome. With each stream’s research showcased on poster boards in the Stamp Grand Ballroom, students were able to explore each FIRE Stream at their own pace and learn about what research in each stream involved
The FIRE Summit 2024 2024 FIRE Streams
Each year, the annual FIRE Summit provides FIRE Semester 3 students and Peer Research Mentors the opportunity to present their research to the broader university community.
On December 6, 2024, the FIRE Summit returned to the Edward St. John Learning & Teaching Center for the first time since 2019. FIRE students filled the halls of the first and second floors of the building, presenting their research on posters and discussing their projects with visitors. Students from several streams developed websites to bolster their research posters, while students in other streams brought robots they had recently field-tested. The event served as a summative experience for students completing their time in FIRE.
Undergraduate Research Day
April 17, 2024
Stamp Grand Ballroom
OUR’s Annual Undergraduate Research Day (URD) empowers students across campus to share their research experiences and outcomes while celebrating their dedication and passion for discovery
400+ Undergraduate Students Presenting Research
More than 400 undergraduates showcased their scholarly and creative work, sharing 216 poster presentations. These presentations encompassed a range of disciplines, representing twelve UMD colleges, schools, and programs. URD welcomed members of the UMD community who engaged in meaningful conversations with students and fostered multidisciplinary collaboration. The engagement and support from the UMD Campus and community contributed to the event’s success. A subset of the presentations are available in the 2024 Undergraduate Research Day Digital Repository.
216 Research Posters Presented
12 UMD Colleges, Schools, & Programs Represented
Inaugural Excellence in Research Awards (ERA)
During URD, undergraduate candidates nominated by faculty research advisors for OUR’s ERA were evaluated by UMD community members. Award selection was determined by students’ engagement in their research disciplines, resilience, creativity & creative problem-solving, and cross-field research communication. OUR selected 16 students as ERA recipients in 2024.
July 19, 2024
Summer Undergraduate Research Conference
Stamp Grand Ballroom
This summer, OUR hosted the first annual Summer Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) in the Stamp Grand Ballroom. More than 170 students presented their research, showcasing the wide variety of scholarly and creative work undertaken during the summer at UMD.
The conference featured a range of projects from students involved in various programs, including OUR’s Immersive Research Internship Experience (IRIE), the Student-Proposed Innovation & Research Experience (SPIRE), two National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REUs), and several other summer research initiatives across UMD’s Schools and Colleges. SURC provided a platform for students to share their research projects conducted both on and off campus, representing diverse disciplines. Undergraduates were enthusiastic about presenting their work and discussing their experiences in conducting summer research.
Student Presenters Research Posters
A Look Ahead: The Office of Undergraduate Research 2025
Looking ahead, OUR Team is working in alignment with OUR core mission, vision, and values to develop culture & community, ensure equitable opportunity, and facilitate learning through research on UMD’s campus.
Learning Through Research
OUR’s curricular strategy aims to support both the UMD student and UMD faculty & staff populations in a two-step process. The development of campusfacing open-learning resources, including the Undergraduate Research Opportunities & Competencies (UROC) Open Educational Resource, supports student & faculty audiences by providing accessible, adaptable resources to support and facilitate undergraduate research. Following the development of Open Learning resources, OUR course-based opportunities allow undergraduates the opportunity to understand, engage with, and prepare for research
Launching in Spring 2025, OURS100: Entering Research is an online, asynchronous course built upon resources from UROC, designed to prepare students to find research opportunities on UMD’s campus successfully. Running congruently to OURS100 is OURS308: Supporting Students Entering Research. OURS 308 students with undergraduate research experience engage with and facilitate connections for OURS100 students while developing their own mentoring skills
Broadening Opportunity
With a current request for proposals open to UMD community members during spring 2025, OUR is working to increase the size and scale of the Immersive Research Internship Program (IRIE). The development of new IRIE Research groups led by UMD campus partners will engage teams of ~10 students to engage in 25 hours of research per week for 8 weeks in the summer. New IRIE Research groups will extend the reach of summer undergraduate research to more students at UMD
In partnership with founders in the A James Clark School of Engineering, OUR is working to establish and expand a non-cohort model of undergraduate research involvement across campus through Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs). VIP teams bring together students from diverse backgrounds to participate in long-term, large-scale, course-based projects. OUR will engage with campus partners by assisting with course creation and scheduling, student recruitment and management, faculty readiness and support, as well as assessment and evaluation. Proposals for new VIP teams are being accepted through the end of February 2025, with new teams set to launch in Fall 2025.
Improved Curation of UMD, Regional, & World Opportunities
Replacing the Maryland Opportunities for Research Experiences (MORE) Database this spring, OUR is launching ForagerOne This updated platform enables UMD campus partners to share research opportunities while allowing UMD students to create profiles to connect directly with these partners. With ForagerOne, students will experience enhanced customization, automation, and improved access to research opportunities across campus.
OUR has curated extensive lists of campus, regional, and global opportunities available to UMD students on our website Looking ahead, we are committed to further developing and organizing these opportunities to enhance usability for students.
Development of Student-Led Seminars & Web Guides
Student-led organizations have shown a strong interest in partnering with OUR to foster community among students engaged in research. To support this, we aim to empower students to take the lead in organizing seminars and online guides that facilitate connection and knowledge sharing Through these student-driven initiatives, we hope to provide meaningful opportunities for connection, engagement, and growth.
As we move into the second full year serving the University of Maryland’s campus, OUR is committed to strengthening the research experience for students while deepening our engagement with UMD campus partners.
Jennifer Lieb
Dr. Carinna Ferguson
Dr. Carol Vieira
