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March 22, 2004

Undergraduate research celebrated at State Capitol

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Students from the University of Michigan (Flint, Dearborn and Ann Arbor), Wayne State University and Michigan State University will celebrate undergraduate engagement in research at the first Michigan Undergraduate Research Forum at the State Capitol in Lansing March 31.

Fifty students from across the state of Michigan will showcase their research, ranging from the study of economic development in Detroit to clinical trials for breast cancer drugs. The event, which is 9 a.m.-2 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Posters will be set up in the Capitol Rotunda and there will be opportunities for state legislators to meet with the students and learn more about research and the vital role it plays in undergraduate education at Michigan's universities. During the course of the day, students will meet individually with their state representatives.

U-M President Mary Sue Coleman, UM-Flint Chancellor Juan Mestas, UM-Dearborn Provost Robert Simpson, and Michigan State Provost Lou Anna Simon will speak about the vital role our research universities play in educating and training future researchers, teachers, policymakers, engineers, and corporate leaders. Their remarks will also highlight the important contributions university researchers are making to the quality of life and economic vitality of the State of Michigan. State Sen. Liz Brater and Rep. Chris Kolb are also scheduled to be among the speakers.

The U-Michigan-Ann Arbor students are current and former participants in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), said Sandra Gregerman, director of UROP. “The program creates research partnerships between undergraduates and faculty researchers campus-wide.  From its beginning, UROP has won numerous awards for integrating the university's research and teaching missions, and for successfully improving student retention,” said Gregerman. The awards include a National Science Foundation Recognition Award for the Integration of Research and Education and the White House Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

UROP began in 1989 as one of several initiatives created to improve the retention and academic achievement of underrepresented students. Today the program is open to both minority and majority students while maintaining its original emphasis on underrepresented minority students and women in the sciences.

More information about the forum and about UROP is available on-line at http://www.umich.edu/~urop/

Contact: Joel Seguine
Phone:(734) 936-6396
E-mail:jseguine@umich.edu

or

Contact: Sandra Gregerman,
Phone: (734) 998-9381,
E-mail: sgreger@umich.edu