To reach a goal in life, a person sometimes needs to walk down the right corridor and open a door at the end.
Thats what a group of 做厙TV students are doing via the Corridor Undergraduate Research Initiative. The program provides up to $10,000 to each of USFs nine participating colleges. The funds help students with financial obligations and frees up time to work with faculty.
In the (COPH), the program supports research experiences for seven undergraduate students, who work 10 hours a week for 10 weeks on faculty mentor-guided projects.
This year, the annual COPH initiative received 160 applications for 15 student positions, making the slots highly competitive. The students see their involvement as a springboard to advancing their careers through invaluable boots-on-the-ground training, said , associate dean, and assistant professor in the .
Dr. Alison Oberne
The students gain new skills and mentorship that support their professional growth and development, she said. Students often join research labs in various stages of a project so they learn about the lifecycle of research. They have an opportunity to learn about different types of research, contribute to research initiatives and receive mentorship.
Some students are interested in research but either lack a mentor or the time to volunteer in a lab, Oberne added. Many students take classes full time and work part-time jobs, so this funding supports their professional and academic goals and allows them to better manage their day-to-day expenses.
Julissa Velazquez, an undergraduate student majoring in who hopes to join the Peace Corps, was thrilled to be awarded a position for further study. Her project focused on a joint COPH-Florida Department of Health program called the . It prepares public health professionals with specialized skills in contact tracing, disease investigation and outbreak response.
Julissa Velasquez is an undergraduate public health student with hopes of joining the Peace Corps (Photo courtesy of Velasquez)
As a result of the initiative, she recently accepted a position as a research coordinator with USFs Undergraduate Research Society.
I wanted to gain research experience and learn new skills, and to apply what I learned in my coursework to develop a stronger foundation and understanding of research, she said. Having a mentor has been a positive experience and allowed me to recognize the value of receiving support and guidance throughout the research process. I hope to share what Ive learned with other undergraduate students.
Danika Novak, who plans to graduate with a B.S. in public health next year, said this program has been the highlight of my undergraduate experience. Ive been participating for two years and what its given me has been fundamental to my success.
Danika Novak presenting at USF Health Research Day (Photo courtesy of Novak)
Mentoring Novak was , professor in the Department of Community Health Science, who praised her commitment to the program and in helping her peers.
She assisted our team in critical data analysis and dissemination activity for a large community project, Vamos said. Were so proud of her and her passion to assist youth in making sure they have the information and services that support their reproductive well-being journeys.
Some of the other highly specialized research projects include:
- Precision decoding of humanmicrobiome interactions
- Vector-borne and parasitic disease research
- Relationship between multiple health problems and history of adverse childhood experiences in Florida
- Leveraging deep learning to uncover protein kinase drug targets in Alzheimers
Although the extra time required and an often-steep learning curve present challenges to full-time students, the results are most always positive.
Our hope is that students will catch the research bug and want to continue research in the same or different labs moving forward, Oberne said. In fact, some faculty hire students beyond the 10 weeks because of the value these students add to their projects.
To be chosen for the COPH positions, students must:
- Major in public health, health sciences, health and nutrition science, or health and physical rehabilitation science with at least a sophomore class standing
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Agree to participate in 100 hours of research work
- Enroll in a course to track their research engagement in both the spring and summer semesters
Launched in 2022, the USF initiative has supported more than 250 students and formal undergraduate research programs across more than half of the colleges at the university. Its mission aligns with the core principles of the COPH: to improve, promote, and protect health outcomes and the overall well-being of people and their communities.
The Corridor Undergraduate Research Initiative will continue to support students each year in order make research an accessible and defining part of the USF student experience across all disciplines. As part of USFs focus on experiential centered learning, it provides experiences that bridge classroom learning with immersive, real-world research, empowering students to build new skills, confidence and career pathways.
Students interested in applying for next years initiative can learn more by visiting: guidelines and application instructions.