By Nicolas Rontanini
As fall 2022 kicked into high gear, so too were the university’s new initiatives this semester. From the new One-Stop Student Services Center, assisting with aspects like financial aid and billing, to the new Mindfulness Center, a space committed to the wellbeing of the campus
community, Adelphi has been working to improve the lives of both students and alumni. The school has brought about ways to provide students with opportunities to enhance their success later, such as with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works (OURC).
This new office allows students to get involved through several research opportunities. These derive from the different colleges, schools and departments on campus, such as the Horace McDonell Fellowship offered to biology, physics and chemistry students and the Honors College Summer Fellowship for those enrolled in that program. Faculty and departments also offer field, lab and studio research opportunities.
“Getting involved in Research and Creative Works will provide you with opportunities to generate new knowledge, think critically and outside of the box and fine-tune your creative
and collaborative skills,” said Eugenia Villa-Cuesta, director of the OURC, who is also an associate professor of biology. “Instead of learning facts and content that others have discovered for you, doing research allows you to apply the knowledge and skills from your classes to discover new information yourself and advance your field.”
In addition to research, the OURC offers students the chance to interact with faculty members who will serve as their mentors. How this works is students will normally work on projects that fall within the domain of their advisor’s research and creative areas. In order to identify a potential advisor, check the research and artistic areas of various faculty members to find whose work matches your interests.
To aid students in this regard, the university website lists faculty interest, divided by department, with links to publications and research interests. It’s recommended to meet with your potential advisor in their office to discuss with them your interests and possible work opportunities.
According to Villa-Cuesta, who is in the College of Arts and Sciences, “faculty are very motivated about what they do, and sharing that motivation with students is one of the pleasures of our job.”
The office is working on a webpage, designed to house information on what Adelphi currently offers, how to reach out to a possible research mentor or apply to the programs.
The OURC is still a new office; it only began this semester. If students are interested in undergraduate research or creative works, they can reach out to the office at ourc@adelphi.edu.
“We are working on growing our presence in our campus community,” Villa-Cuesta said. “So far, however, everyone seems to be excited about the office.”
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