The reason many students and professors choose to come to the University of Chicago can be summarized in three words: R1 research institution. For many undergraduate students, though, the idea of finding research opportunities can be understandably daunting. The body of research here is, strictly speaking, ginormous. With specialists in just about every academic field imaginable, how do students find opportunities that they’re excited about, and ones where they can gain hands-on experience?
Engage the experts
To start, there are formal structures like the College Center for Research and Fellowships (CCRF) which helps students find research opportunities and funding. They host regular events where students can learn about a wealth of educational experiences in all fields. You would be hard pressed to find anyone on this campus more pleased to talk to you about research roles for students than the CCRF staff.
Don’t be afraid to reach out
It is also hard to overstate how far a thoughtful email can go. The strategy of cold emailing a professor is always viable if you are an undergraduate student interested in a particular field of research. Sometimes it takes a few tries to land a conversation with a professor, but more often than not, if you express an earnest interest in a professor’s work, they’ll be happy to talk to you about what they do. If they do not have an open spot for you in their lab or team, they will likely be able to rattle off a list of other people who may.
Edward Luo, a fourth-year majoring in molecular engineering found his research in materials science by cold emailing a professor. Scrolling through the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering website, and poking through faculty publications, Edward saw that Po-Chun Hsu’s lab had a device that could regulate a material’s temperature by switching its emissive properties. He asked if he could talk to Prof. Hsu about this intriguing system. This conversation led to a research project on temperature regulating clothing materials that react to sweat.
Brainstorm with your network
A cold email is a viable strategy but is by no means the only one. Patrick La Riviere, professor of Radiology and Student Liaison for Medical Physics, reminds us that “the formal structures for getting involved in research are just the tip of the iceberg.”
There are such deep pockets of research in every discipline, that much of finding opportunities becomes about talking to different people about what they do. Talk to the professors that you like, even if their teaching is in a different area than your major. Talk to friends about what they work on in their labs.
Milla Ivanova, a fourth-year biology major, found her public health research opportunity in pediatrician Dr. Anna Volerman’s group by talking to her friend on the club tennis team. She had previously tried out other research in public health but was looking for a different project. Her friend knew about Dr. Volerman and suggested looking into her work. Milla reached out to get involved. Starting this past spring, she has worked with the Respiratory Health Association on a program providing inhalers to schools in Illinois with a focus on racial/socioeconomic disparities in asthma.
Find your mentors
The best thing you can do if you want to get involved in research as an undergraduate is keep your mind open to various types of mentorships. Vera Dragisich, director of Academic Programs and Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry, put it well: “There’s no such thing as one mentor…they’re your friends, your parents, your teachers and your PIs. A mentor is not just one professor.” Focusing on who you enjoy and why you like their approach to research can help you gain clarity on the sorts of questions that motivate you.