BYU offers an abundance of research opportunities for undergraduate students. The university has research labs across multiple colleges, including life sciences, business, family, home and social sciences, humanities and engineering.
BYU is one of 187 R1 research institutions in the nation, a classification given to institutions with the highest research activity. The school is full of professors who dedicate countless hours to helping undergraduate students conduct research.
Byron Adams, the biology department chair and a professor at BYU, is passionate and proud of the university’s undergraduate research programs.
“This is something that BYU does better than any place on planet Earth,” Adams said.
While pursuing his bachelor’s degree in zoology at BYU, Adams had the opportunity to dive headfirst into a research lab that exposed him to quality research experiences. After receiving his doctorate and postdoctoral training, he began his career as a professor at the University of Florida. He was determined to provide his undergraduate students with meaningful research opportunities similar to the ones he had at BYU.
However, when he began his career in Florida, he was shocked to see that the faculty at his university were not nearly as eager to provide these opportunities for undergraduate students.
“Other faculty and administrators were like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing? That's crazy. That's dumb,’” Adams said. “‘These students will never produce publication-quality research. Like all you're doing is making somebody else's greatest graduate student ever.’”
Despite his colleagues' critiques, Adams continued to help his undergraduate students experience valuable research opportunities. After transferring to BYU, he was able to share his enthusiasm for helping undergraduate students in a setting where research was heavily encouraged.
“My job is to provide the guidance, opportunity, resources, space, time and love,” Adams said. “We put in a lot of love.”
Participating in research can yield many positive effects for undergraduate students.
A research study from the University of Alberta by Christopher Madan and Braden Teitge titled, "The Benefits of Undergraduate Research: The Student's Perspective," expands on these advantages.
“Research experience allows undergraduate students to better understand published works, learn to balance collaborative and individual work, determine an area of interest, and jump-start their careers as researchers,” Madan and Teitge stated.
Although undergraduate research is offered to students regardless of their interest in pursuing graduate school, Madan and Teitge found that engaging in research often helps students discover a passion that leads them to graduate studies and faculty positions.
One resource that helps students in their research quests is the BYU Undergraduate Research and Internship Association (URIA). Matthew Esplin, president of BYU’s URIA, is passionate about helping students find a place that best suits their interests.
“We're trying to help students get involved in extracurricular activities that help them prepare for their professional careers,” Esplin said.
Esplin worked in a research lab and found that his experiences helped him develop three important skills: writing and communication, professionalism and greater rigor in learning.
With many students seeking help with research opportunities, the URIA designated Chloe Johnson as the head of advertising to help spread information about the club.
“We advertise tips to get into research first and foremost, but we also feature other things like study tips, deadline reminders, member or mentor spotlights, and we make opportunities available for students to ask questions,” Johnson said.
Johnson also participated in undergraduate research for eight months and knows the best ways to get into the field. She advises students to reflect on their interests, update their resumes, take the appropriate prerequisite coursework, stay humble throughout the learning process and reach out to professors.
“I probably contacted upwards of about 10 to 15 different professors. The majority of them didn't respond, which is what a student should expect,” Johnson said. “You have to be consistent and flexible during that process.”
The URIA and professors alike recommend that students start their research journey as early as possible to experience as many learning opportunities as they can and even have a chance to publish as a first author on a research paper.
Ackroyd acknowledged that some students choose to delay joining a lab because they do not have the knowledge they need to understand the experiments they would be conducting. Although she thinks that decision is valid, she believes it can be beneficial for students to join research labs they do not know much about.
“No researcher knows everything they need to know. You have to figure things out, you have to figure out what you don’t know, and you have to learn it,” Ackroyd said. “So starting as a freshman just means that you practice those things earlier."
Ackroyd also acknowledged a gender divide among men and women in research.
She explained that researchers have found that fewer women tend to experience research because they wait for their professors to invite them, while men typically ask their professors if they can join.
“So sometimes what happens is, women who would do a great job and really love it, just don't get invited because they don't know that invitation is not the model,” Ackroyd said.
Undergraduate research provides an opportunity for students and professors to work together to answer life's complicated questions. Students are encouraged to reach out to the URIA or faculty for more information.