The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) is an undergraduate research program that prepares students from underrepresented populations for graduate study and careers in the information sciences. Students undertake a year-long experience that includes two summer institutes held at the University of Pittsburgh and a year-long team research project. Students are immersed in special-topics workshops, professional development seminars, research projects, and network-building opportunities.

Past i3 Scholars have completed a variety of interdisciplinary research projects. A sample of past project topics have included:

• Viral videos and the leading factors related to online sharing
• Youth education and recruitment into STEM fields
• Gender representation in video games
• Online community building in social movements like Occupy Wall St.
• Social media and political involvement in campaigns
• Identity representation and catfishing on social media
• Environmental sustainability efforts in the information technology sector
• Psychological incentives to donate to crowd-sourced campaigns on Kickstarter and similar online platforms

The 2014 i3 will be held at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences from June 1-27, 2014.

• Semester Academic Honors - earned at least a 3.5
• Dean's List - earned at least a 3.75
• President's List - 4.0!!!

These honors are only for students who took classes full-time and the credits were not taken as pass/fail.

http://inds.umbc.edu/about/academic-awards/

Will YOU be on the list next semester? We can work with you to make it happen!

Meet Mary.

She is a Dance and INDS major and current Undergraduate Research Award (URA) scholar. Her current research measures the benefits of dance lessons on children. She is also a Linehan Artist Scholar, the President of the Dance Council of Majors and has served as a Welcome Week Leader for the past three years.

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do?
I have always wanted to combine my passion for the Arts with my purpose to advance the Arts in education through policy. With the creation of my Interdisciplinary Studies Major titled “Arts Advocacy”, I knew that I wanted to do research that would help me grow as an advocate. I also love to teach dance, so I knew this project would be a lot of fun!

Is this your first independent research/artistic project?
This is my first independent research project of this type, but I previously received the Linehan Summer Research and Study Award to study dance for three weeks with Doug Varone and Dancers in New York.

Do you get course credit for this work?
Yes! This research will also be presented as my Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?
I had attended URCAD several times and many of my friends had done research through the URA. After seeing their projects and learning about their experiences, I wanted to do it, too!

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA?
I was a Junior when I applied to the URA, so I had completed most of my core and degree requirements. One of the classes that has helped me the most in completing the analytical portion of this research was POLI 301- Political Science Research Methods with Dr. Carolyn Forestiere. She became my URA mentor and has been infinitely helpful in designing, implementing, and completing this research.

Was the application difficult to do?
The application was easier than I thought it would be. I found it really helpful to attend the workshops provided, and would recommend working closely with your mentor while completing the application.

What has been the hardest part about your research?
The hardest part of my research was definitely coordinating with all the necessary people to implement my dance program within the Summer Learning Program. I began planning with the local YMCA in December, but by May they had gotten so busy that it was hard to schedule meetings about my research. I had to be persistent while also trying not to be bothersome, as I understood they had a lot they were trying to plan.

What was the most unexpected thing?
I thought that the children I worked with would like dancing, but I didn’t expect that on the last day they would all want to know where to take dance lessons and wanted to know if I would be coming back next summer! They were a little bit resistant at the beginning, so I wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction to the dance program in the end. It was unexpected, but I was so happy!

How does your research relate to your work in other classes?
Because I am an Interdisciplinary Studies Major, I designed my coursework to eventually lead up to this research project. I took classes in research, dance, sociology, political science, and social work that all related to my project in some way.

What else are you involved in on campus?
I am a Linehan Artist Scholar, the President of Dance Council of Majors, and have been a Welcome Week Leader for the past three years.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!!! Everyone I have worked with on this project has been more than happy to help me and I am really grateful for that. It is easy to think that because you designed the project you shouldn’t ask for help, but that is not the case!

What are your career goals?
While I know that I want to be an advocate for the arts, I do not exactly know how I want to do this. In the Spring, I will be interning with Americans for the Arts working on arts education governmental affairs. I’m really looking forward to this experience helping me shape my career goals.

Did you transfer to UMBC from another institution? Where?
I started at UMBC as a freshman and will be graduating next May!

Read her abstract here...

The Nebraska Summer Research Program is a consortium of NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and other summer research opportunities programs (SROP).

One unique feature of the Nebraska Summer Research Program is the partnership between the REU and SROP programs and the Office of Graduate Studies. Students benefit in having a community of scholars in which to learn and to share research with.

This intensive summer research experience provides mentoring and research experiences while allowing scholars to preview graduate school life. Students with a strong interest in graduate programs are particularly encouraged to apply, as are those from populations traditionally underrepresented in graduate education.

The Yale University Astronomy Department is pleased to invite applications for the first annual Hoffleit Undergradate Astronomy Research Scholarship. This program serves as an opportunity for keen undergraduates in STEM fields with a strong interest in pursuing astronomy to spend 6-8 weeks performing astronomy research in with Yale rearchers.

Research topics cover a wide range, from the characterization and discovery of exoplanets, the study of the Sun and stars, to the origin and evolution of small and large galaxies. Yale’s astronomy department is located in New Haven, CT, near historic downtown and the East Rock neighborhood. New Haven is a vibrant city in the summertime; home to the Arts and Ideas festival, many cafes and restaurants. The undergraduate students will be housed together in the beautiful campus residential colleges where they will have the opportunity to interact with undergraduate scholars from other departments.

The program encourages undergraduates from all nationalities to apply, particularly, those with a strong desire to continue to graduate school.

To apply or find out more, visit http://www.astro.yale.edu/vlg8/hoffleitfellowship.html

And direct any questions to  valerie.robalino@yale.edu Subject: Hoffleit Queries

See www.midas.pitt.edu/srp

The University of Pittsburgh Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) National Center of Excellence summer research opportunity in computational modeling and simulation of infectious diseases.

Through this ten-week Summer Research Program, participants will gain an appreciation of major research questions being raised at the intersection of public health, biological science, and computer technology and become acclimated to the rigors of scientific research and graduate education.