Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
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OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
THE VISION Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach will be an internationally recognized center for excellence in undergraduate research, innovation, and scholarship where every student engages in scholarly learning throughout their academic careers. THE MISSION Embry-Riddle strives to create a culture of knowledge discovery through research. The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) engages undergraduate students in faculty-mentored research led by both students and faculty. Our mission is to provide an inclusive and diverse set of opportunities for all undergraduate students to enhance their intellectual and personal development through engagement in research, inquiry, innovation, and/or other scholarly projects to prepare for their professional careers.
THE OBJECTIVES
y Apply critical thinking, ethics, and information analyses in decision-making processes.
y Understand the nature of research, investigation, innovation and scholarship.
y Utilize discipline-based inquiry skills in their communities to create or understand new knowledge and solve real-world problems. y Disseminate their research to engage with their community and enhance communication skills.
4 The Office of Undergraduate Research
THE TEAM Ronnie Mack, Ed.D., Director Morgan Kelly, Assistant Director of Grant Operations
Benjamin Chaback, Program Coordinator Sophia Gustley, Student Analytics Manager Isabella DeLorenzo, Outreach Manager Jackson Sackrider, Lead Mentor
OUR PEER MENTORS Kamryn Hall Tatyana Ivanova Madison Gleydura Skylar Butler Anirudh Aggarwal Kyle Fox
BEYOND STUDENT EDITORS Jackson Sackrider Kamryn Hall
BEYOND STUDENT REVIEWERS Anirudh Aggarwal
Brandon Dreslin Grayson Hayes Trevor Simoneau Zachary Collins
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STUDENT PROGRAMS The Office of Undergraduate Research is committed to providing dynamic, engaging and high-impact programs and events allowing students to gain exposure, experience and expertise in a variety of research categories, scholarship and inquiry.
Such programs include:
y Astronaut Scholars Program y Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal y Campus Collaborative Grant y Climbing Program – Second Year Experience y College Philanthropy Councils y Discovery Day Student Research Symposium y Fall Student Research Symposium y Florida Undergraduate Research Conference y Honeywell Mentoring and Research Program y Ignite Grants y Match Day Program
y National Conference on Undergraduate Research y One-on-One Coaching y OUR Peer Mentors y Research Abroad y Research Certificate y Research Community Events y Research Mentoring y Research Scholars y Spark Grants y Student Internal Grants y Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program y Student Workshop Series
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Trevor Simoneau 2023-2024 Student Researcher of the Year Guila Stewart Conference presentation at IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (Featured in ERAU News) Kaitlyn Nielsen Presented research to Senator Tom Wright at Posters at the Capital
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BY THE NUMBERS
Student Internal Grant Funds Awarded $ 23,385
Ignite Grant Funds Awarded $ 60,000
Total Discovery Day Presentations 118
Spark Grant Funds Awarded $ 57,566
Total Fall Student Research Symposium Posters 70
Grant Applications Received 157
8 The Office of Undergraduate Research
Student Research Consultation Meetings 224
Summer Fellows 18
FURC Attendees 4
NCUR Attendees 12
Honeywell Mentees 13
Honeywell Research Students 3
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MENTORING + DEVELOPMENT Mentors play a vital role in providing opportunity, guidance and advice to their students. In working together on a research endeavor, students learn how to act as colleagues and navigate academic and industry networks, develop skills first-hand, apply classroom knowledge to solve real-world problems and shape their passion and career trajectory. The Office of Undergraduate Research encourages strong mentor-mentee relationships and supports the development of mentors in a growing number of ways.
y Faculty Mentor of the Year Award
y Face-to-Face Workshops
y One-on-One Mentor Coaching
y CUR Conference/Institute Support
y CUR Faculty Mentorship
y Florida Statewide Symposium on Undergraduate Research
y Research Community Events
Discovery Day Judges 21
SRS Judges 22
Total Review Committee Members 50
IGNITE Committee Members 7
Faculty Mentors 93
10 The Office of Undergraduate Research
STRATEGIC PLAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS The 2023-2024 academic year marked the first year of our three-year strategic plan that transitions us to a hub of innovation, inquiry, research and scholarship with an emphasis on three primary themes: superior research and innovation, engagement and outreach, and assessment and effectiveness. A few of these accomplishments include:
y Received 29 student manuscripts to Beyond .
y Hosted 118 presentations for Discovery Day with representation from each academic college. The event had judges from campus but also NASA, City of Daytona, Daytona State College, and Volusia County Economic Development.
y Supported 18 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows.
y Fostered strong partnerships enhancing experiential learning across campus, including projects with Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Philanthropy, Alumni Engagement, Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships, Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Honors Program.
y Collaborating with University Philanthropy to launch the College Philanthropy Councils, which awarded over $10,000 in grants for student research.
y Coordinated year three of a partnership with Honeywell Aerospace to support the research experience and mentorship needs of students. y Supported year four of a partnership with Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to bring the Astronaut Scholars program to ERAU with a presentation by Bruce Melnick (former astronaut).
LOOKING AHEAD
y Expanding programming to support ERAU’s Research Enterprise through faculty development programming.
y Expanding Fall Student Research Symposium and Discovery Day through partnership with the Office of Philanthropy.
y Strengthening partnerships with the Prescott and Worldwide campuses outside of the Collaborative Grant.
y Expanding the impact of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF).
y Redesigning internal programming to support underserved populations, which align with the Ronald E. McNair Grant Program.
y Enhancing office structures and processes to benefit the undergraduate researcher.
y Solidify funding to expand the Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.
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