Undergraduate Research Center

About URECA

Undergraduate research allows you to satisfy your curiosity by investigating a subject that fascinates you, collaborating with a mentor, and sharing your discoveries with others. Research opportunities are available across all disciplines, including the humanities and the arts, referred to as “creative activity”.

Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity (URECA) funding provide students an opportunity to work on a research or creative project and get paid for their time and commitment, while gaining valuable experience and transferable skills desired by employers and graduate schools. Awards range from $500 for beginners to $3,000 for experienced researchers.

Why should I do research?

Deepen Understanding: Research allows you to delve deeply into a subject, enhancing your knowledge and understanding beyond what is covered in coursework.
Skill Development: Develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, which are valuable in any career!
Hands-On Experience: Engaging in research provides practical, hands-on experience that can be beneficial for future academic or professional pursuits.
Mentorship: Working with a faculty mentor offers personalized guidance and support, fostering professional growth and providing valuable networking opportunities.
Resume Building: Research experience is a significant addition to a resume or CV, making you more competitive for graduate school or job applications.
Contribution to Knowledge: You have the chance to contribute to your field by discovering new information or developing new ideas!
Communication Skills: Presenting research findings helps improve your written and oral communication skills, essential for any profession.
Personal Growth & Community: The process of conducting research can boost confidence, independence, and establish a sense of belonging within your research community.

What MTSU Students say about their URECA experience

“I started when I was a Sophomore, and I wish I had started even sooner. Research gives you an intrinsic desire to explore a topic you find fascinating rather than taking whatever shortcuts necessary to get a specific letter grade in a standardized class. I cannot stress this enough. Education needs a paradigm shift, and this is where it needs to go. Curiosity and wonder need to be the drivers.”

“I would absolutely recommend URECA. Even if you are not going into a career in STEM, there is research in every field and it helps you learn in a way you could not otherwise. Being around an expert in their field gives you perspective as you explore career options yourself. It is an excellent use of time, includes a stipend and looks great on a resume!”

“Research experience defines a mediocre college experience from an excellent one. It gives opportunities for training above and beyond what is expected from a bachelors degree and makes the student more competitive for graduate and professional school. It also helps the student engage early with faculty that can mentor them in areas of life and school outside of the lab.”

“Working on a URECA project has prepared me to handle theoretical classes by allowing me to work on theoretical Machine Learning algorithms. Aside from the actual project, working closely with a mentor has prepared me to better work with leaders in my field. My experience in URECA has prepared me to handle theoretical classes, work with mentors, and, ultimately, my future in the research field.”

“My research experience has been the cornerstone of my success at MTSU. I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from working in the lab, including two publications, multiple scholarships, and most recently, admission to one of the most prestigious graduate schools in the world. This would not have been the case without research, and URECA funding to enable me to spend less time off campus at work.”

“This experience benefitted my education tremendously. I learned how critical searching through related literature is in order to overcome unexpected, the importance of being able to clearly explain your project objectives to people who have no background in chemistry, as well as emphasize the practical goals of the project during presentations. Further, this experience has greatly influenced my interest in pursuing a career in research after attaining a PhD.”

“I feel that this experience combined all of the knowledge that I have learned in my degree and also the skills that I have built in college and allowed me to apply it to real world scenarios. This process allowed me the opportunity to problem solve and use creative thinking. Most of the time people don’t get an opportunity to do research like this or use the knowledge and skills they have obtained in their undergraduate years until some upper division classes, internship, graduate school, or their first job out of college.

“I would strongly recommend mentored research for students while they are in college. The student-to-mentor dynamic is a one-on-one approach that has many advantages over the traditional classroom/group setting that dominates the college experience. There is just the student within a forum to singularly pursue specific goals and a project tailored to her/his sensibilities and interests.”

Committee

The URECA committee is composed of accomplished and passionate faculty representatives from a variety of academic colleges at MTSU. The committee meets three times each academic year to evaluate proposals and award funding based on merit. Other responsibilities include fine-tuning the application process and refining procedures for proposal evaluation and grant awards.

2024-2025 Committee Members

Name	Department	College	Email
Tricia Farwell, Chair	Journalism	College of Media and Communications	Tricia.Farwell@mtsu.edu
Tiffany Rogers	Psychology	Behavioral and Health Sciences	Tiffany.Rogers@mtsu.edu
Sean Foley	History	Liberal Arts	Sean.Foley@mtsu.edu
Keely O’Brien	Agriculture	Basic and Applied Sciences	Keely.Obrien@mtsu.edu
Kim Evert	Educational Leadership	Education	Kimberly.Evert@mtsu.edu
Yi (Vanessa) Liu	Health and Human Performance	Behavioral and Health Sciences	Yi.Liu@mtsu.edu
Bridget Donnelly	English	College of Liberal Arts	Bridget.Donnelly@mtsu.edu
Justin Miller	Chemistry	College of Basic and Applied Sciences	Justin.Miller@mtsu.edu