When I was a sophomore I once sat in my astronomy class and listened to my teacher describe detection methods for finding exoplanets when I had a question. This was not unusual, as I always have questions. But this one led to more discussion after class and an offer to help engage in research. This casual event has since led me to operate a research telescope in Chile, present preliminary results at an American Astronomical Society meeting and now write a senior thesis on the subject. That is not the only way to enter undergraduate research, but it worked for me and has been influential in my progress as a student and in getting internships and graduate school acceptances.

But how important is undergraduate research really? I interviewed Seth Oppenheimer, a professor of mathematics at Mississippi State University and the Director of Undergraduate Research for the Shackouls Honors College, and he said although it is not required, it is a very important aspect of an undergraduate education to participate in some form of research — be it in your own department and major or elsewhere.

“I think (undergraduate research) is not necessary to education, but it is an extremely important part of education if you engage in it. It allows a student to delve deeply into a subject they are interested in, number one, but beyond that it forces the student to understand their subject in a way that going to classes just can’t possibly do. They have to really engage with the ideas … One can often get through a course with knowing the basics and being able to handle a few more difficult things, but to do research requires a much more thorough and deep understanding of what is going on,” Oppenheimer said.

Oppenheimer went on to describe how undergraduate research provides valuable critical thinking skills and independence that helps, even outside of graduate school research settings. 

“(Undergraduate research) allows not just for intellectual growth and understanding within the field, but if one is going to move on, whether in graduate school or in the working world, doing undergraduate research prepares one to work creatively and independently in a way that just taking courses simply will not,” Oppenheimer said.

Besides the long term benefits of research with a mentor, it can also be fun and immediately rewarding. Understanding an advanced subject and being able to make progress on a problem and eventually present it before others is rewarding, and I would be lying if I said using the scientific equipment and getting to travel weren’t fun, too. I have used undergraduate research as an hourly paid position, as an internship for the summer at a national accelerator facility and most recently as course credit for my senior thesis.

Now, it may not be obvious how to get involved, but according to Oppenheimer, the Provost’s office has taken an interest in this subject and has launched a new website to help pair willing students with mentors for undergraduate research. According to the MSU Office of Public Affairs release, the website is “designed to highlight all types of undergraduate research opportunities and symposiums.” The website is available at urcd.msstate.edu for those interested in seeing what is available.

Additionally, it is possible to present research that has already been conducted at the research symposia that are hosted by the Honors College. Every spring and summer there are symposia for students engaged in research at MSU and in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates hosted at MSU during the summers to have a chance to present their work as either a poster or a short talk. This year’s spring symposium is April 23 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and it is still accepting submissions. All of this is a great opportunity I have taken full advantage of during my time at MSU, and I encourage everyone to see the value and importance of participating in some form of collaboration with professionals in your intended field before graduating from the university.