When you are ready to upload a research or creative project to request research assistants, make sure to submit your project by August 22nd, 2022: https://cre.fsu.edu/form/urop-project-proposal-portal. Learn more about UROP and being a UROP Research Mentor here: https://cre.fsu.edu/research-mentor-information

The FSU Global Scholars program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to engage with critical questions about social impact, social justice, and social change through a combination of academic, classroom-based learning as well as independent research, internship, and/or service-learning experiences. More

Mia McSheffrey is one of our Global Scholars students spending 5 weeks of her summer in Cusco, Peru. While there, Mia is volunteering at Casa Mantay, which is a home for young mothers, aged 12 to 18, and their children. Mia writes about her daily routine, saying:

"My daily routine in Cusco is very busy! I have Spanish classes every weekday for two hours, but the exact time of my class changes every week. This week my class is from 8 am to 10 am. That means I wake up around 6:45 am, eat a quick breakfast, and then ride the bus into the city. The bus ride is around 20 minutes and by now I am accustomed to it. In Spanish class, I mostly practice conversing with my professor since most of my prior Spanish education has centered around reading and writing. After class, I have three hours in the city to explore before I have to go volunteer. During this time, I normally visit a museum, get lunch, or go to a cafe and catch up on some work. While I do have internet access with the host family I am staying with, it can be a bit slow, so sometimes it is helpful to go somewhere with a stronger connection. After my free time in the city, I walk to the bus stop around 1 pm and take the bus to my volunteer location. Casa Mantay is located in a neighborhood called San Jerónimo, and it is about a 40-minute bus ride from the city center. This is the same time that a lot of children get out of school, so the bus is typically very full and I have to stand for most of it. I volunteer at Casa Mantay from 2 pm to 6 pm every weekday, and during this time I help with the 3- and 4-year-olds’ after-school program. This involves helping them with a little homework, playing on the playground, and assisting their teacher in any way she needs. At 6 pm, I leave Casa Mantay and walk to a bus station to go home." More

The Gap Year Association defines a gap year (also known as a bridge year) as a "structured period of time when students take a break from formal education to increase self-awareness, learn from different cultures, and experiment with possible careers." A guiding principle is that the year should engage you in new, challenging experiences that encourage you to reevaluate your assumptions about yourself and the world around you. Long popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, and elsewhere, gap years are increasingly common among students in the United States. More

Julie Tarpin is one of our Gap Year Fellows students who entered their gap year with no set plan (as most students do), but a desire to use time off of school to travel, specifically to Italy. In the past year, Julie was able to accomplish just that! As Julie's gap year comes to a close, they share with us a reflection on the top three favorite moments: volunteering in Miami for Art Basel, climbing to the top of the Duomo Milan, and having conversations with the women that they volunteered alongside in Florence. Julie writes:

"Art Basel is an annual art fair in Miami that attracts artists of all mediums from all parts of the world together as one. Volunteering at Art Basel was so important to me because I finally felt like I was a part of something so important to my community. Not only that, but I was surrounded by seasoned journalists, inspirational creatives, and a spectacular art gallery that truly made me feel so much joy and expanded my idea of what art could be. Moreover, another life-changing experience was climbing to the top of the Milanese Cathedral. Never in my life have I seen a more breathtaking building covered in thousands of statues preserved so beautifully. At the top were views of the entire city and I watched as the sky melted like watercolors until finally, the city lit up at dusk. I’ll never forget sitting in the wind and the absolute calm I felt at that moment. Finally, last but not least was talking to the women I volunteered with. Beneath a church near the center of Florence, a group of older women run a children’s library. My favorite part about them was the stories they told and how each of their lives intersected to create the library. Whether from Scotland, the United States, or Australia, they had each fallen in love with Italians (and Italy itself) and changed their whole lives to be with them. Many of them had lived in Italy for decades and taught themselves Italian, but each had a deep love for teaching their children English and helping other parents raise bilingual children, specifically through books. Their passion for language and learning inspired me greatly and I don’t think I’ll ever forget them." More

The Tech Fellows program works to increase diversity in the entrepreneurship sector by exposing first-generation college students (CARE affiliated students) to the everyday work of product development, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem building. As a fellow, students spend a dynamic summer embedded with an ecosystem-building organization and work alongside startup companies. The summer internship (minimum of 20 hours per week) may be face-to-face or virtual depending on the matching process between program partners and the Tech Fellows. More

Diamond Scrivens is one of our Tech Fellows students spending their summer as an intern at North Florida Innovation Labs. Diamond tells us about the valuable hands-on experience they have gained through this position, the challenges encountered, and how to best manage those challenges:

"What I have found challenging is that while working in a fast-paced environment, when things are always getting done in a timely fashion, you have tasks and projects that are always happening at a rapid pace. To be able to work in this type of setting, you have to understand how to juggle multiple projects or tasks at once and be prepared to take on something with only a moment’s notice. This past week, I had multiple tasks and projects to tackle, including curating a standard operating procedure for setting up an Owl, helping with onboarding, working with Lab-Techs on safety procedures, working on an internship file, working on our groundbreaking ceremony, and helping write letters of support, and hosting the board of governors meeting. So, I had many tasks and projects to tackle. I have found it helpful in keeping me on track with sticky notes, a planner, and reminders set. I enjoy the spontaneous work environment and am adjusting well. Having well-written verbal communication skills is crucial to being able to thrive at North Florida Innovation Labs. I have to communicate with myself and get the essential details of a task or project. Listening is half of communication, so I keep my notebook and pen ready to write." More

FSU undergraduate students in all majors can apply for an FSU IDEA Grant (formerly URCAA, MRCE, PRSF). Selected applicants will receive either a summer stipend of up to $4,000 (or up to $6,000 for groups) to fund their self-designed work on a topic, project, problem, artistic product or performance, or another entrepreneurial or creative idea. Projects must last 8-12 weeks and be under the mentorship of a supervising faculty member. The project does not need to be tied to a student’s major or minor, but it should be guided by a student’s academic goals and future plans. Funds may be used for living expenses, materials, lost income from not working during summer, and/or travel. Projects must culminate in an oral, poster, or creative presentations at the annual President's Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence. More

Susan Morales and Kalijah Rahming are two of our IDEA Grants students completing their research project on identity formation in a homogeneous society all the way from Seoul, South Korea! They share with us a little about their unique experience abroad:

"Although we have been surrounded by a multitude of international students, as non-Korean women of color, we have had many insightful experiences during our adventures around the city. Many curious individuals have taken the time to stop us and ask where we are from and why we chose to live in Korea. One notable experience came only a few days after arriving in Seoul, on a night when we decided to take the subway to Itaewon to grab dinner. While we were waiting in line, a group of four or five girls approached us and asked us where we were from and where we were staying. Although we did not feel comfortable enough to share any specific details about our travel plans, we both appreciated their kindhearted questions. A few days later, a man on the subway approached us and asked us where we were from. Once he learned that our Korean was limited, he moved away from us. In the United States, being asked this question is usually based on the ideology that people of color are automatically foreign. However, in Seoul, it feels like a more genuine question." More

The 2022 President's Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence returns this year as an in-person event! This event, a collaboration between the Office of the President and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement (CRE), is the culmination of the IDEA Grant and Tech Fellows program, and at the President’s Showcase, students share their research and creative projects through poster and oral presentations. This year’s Showcase will take place on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 5:30pm in the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House.

If you are attending this event as a student, we hope you’ll be inspired to develop your own research or creative projects. To learn more about the IDEA Grant or other programs offered by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement (CRE), visit our website https://cre.fsu.edu/undergradresearch/ideagrants. 

The CRE also helps undergraduate students in any discipline get involved with research in their field and helps fund conference travel, find out more about research advising at cre.fsu.edu/students/getting-started.

RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-presidents-showcase-of-undergraduate-research-excellence-tickets-387544695617

Our CRE Spotlight this month is on Solén Marceau-Laurent. Solén is an IDEA Grants student completing a project titled: “Development of Dementia-Friendly Guidelines for the Black Faith Community: Caregiver Focus Group Analysis.” 

We're celebrating Faculty Corner with an announcement about Geraldine Martorella! Professor Martorella, Associate Professor in the College of Nursing, is a new FSU Faculty Fellow with the Office of Faculty Development and Advancement and the Office of Research. She will use her fellowship to leverage and advance FSU’s expertise in the growth of the Brain Science & Symptom Management Center.

CRE VIRTUAL ADVISING

Please set up a meeting through Campus Connect, use the instructions on the “Getting Started” page, and we will respond to you with a link to a Zoom appointment.