PUTTING RESEARCH-INSPIRED STUDENTS AT AN ADVANTAGE THE WESTERN ADVANTAGE FUND National data confirm student research and creative work with faculty improves retention, academic success, graduate school placement, and career opportunities. The Western Advantage intends to allow our students to experience these same positive outcomes. Modeled after Western’s hugely successful Thornton Biology Undergraduate Research Program, the Western Advantage will give all students – regardless of their academic discipline – the opportunity to partner with faculty on cutting-edge research initiatives. On an annual basis, at
least fifty faculty members will be paired with at least three hundred students in their respective fields of interest, with each faculty member mentoring no more than six students per year. Through ELEVATE WESTERN, Western will establish the WESTERN ADVANTAGE FUND, which will, in turn, offer students up to a $2,000 stipend each year to pursue their research projects and will also provide funding for faculty so that they can maintain their instructional capacity in the classroom.
“ The support we receive allows students and me to participate in applied research, collecting real-time data that informs collaborative decisions. Being part of this adaptive process shows the power and importance of science at the crossroads of conservation and human activities. Our intention is to contribute impactful research that makes the world a better place.”
Patrick Magee, Ph.D. Faculty Senate Chair Associate Professor Wildlife & Conservation Biology