Student Experiences
Students Receive Funding, Advising to Embark on Undergraduate Research
Veronica Pimenova (CMU 2026), who is studying information systems with a minor in human-computer interaction, received a 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) from CMU’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development. Through this experience, she developed a new intervention to help neurodivergent students learn online more easily.
“After each instructional step, we added a four- second pause. This segmentation is grounded in cognitive load and working memory theories, which suggest that brief pauses can help reduce extraneous cognitive load, especially for learners with ADHD, by giving them time to process and keep track of each step as they progress through the video,” Pimenova said. SURF participants are provided a stipend, intended to support them as they complete on-campus research throughout the summer. Students are encouraged to pursue any research endeavors that align with their interests, and are not limited to their major or discipline.
“ Accessibility is something that a lot of people don’t really think about. But the truth is, most people will experience disability at some point in their lives — whether it’s due to genetics, an accident, or as they age. So why don’t we take the time now to build software and systems that work for everyone? ” —Veronica Pimenova
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2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
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