Lauren Villa
2006 Research
Scholarship Recipient

ACE Undergraduate
Research Scholarships

Description: ACE provides a select number of scholarships to its students and supervising faculty to work together on research projects throughout the school year and summer. An ACE student who is interested in receiving a scholarship to perform research must complete a separate application. The application includes developing a proposal and selecting a faculty supervisor, who agrees to assist the student with the project. At the conclusion of students' research, they present their research findings at an annual symposium, usually held during the subsequent fall semester.

Why Participate in Cooperative Research?
Consider the indispensable benefits of pursuing an undergraduate research project.

At minimum, undergraduate research:

• Promotes analytical and investigative skills as students work to uncover solutions to innovative and complex questions;
• Encourages ownership and responsibiltiy of a project that a student works on from its inception to its completion;
• Facilitates ongoing mentorship between faculty and students outside the context of the classroom;
• Strengthens students' presentation skills as they prepare to discuss their research findings at the ACE and other research symposia;
• Enhances students' marketability for graduate and professional programs, and various employers.

“At first I thought that only upperclassmen…could participate in research projects. I never thought that I would have an opportunity presented to me as a freshman in college. This opportunity has not only strengthened my relationship with a faculty member whom I admire, but also helped me gain insight into a subject and passion that I wanted to better understand…I don't think I would have put forth as much effort as I did to get this grant if I did not know the importance of summer research.” Lauren Villa, 2006 Scholarship Recipient