Strategy 6 Stories: Expanding Breakthrough Research and Creative Endeavors
6. Develop a culture of undergraduate research and creative activity in the university.
The narratives below define and bring clarity to what each of the University Strategic Goals means to Academic Affairs. The narratives express our values and beliefs, and create a context to guide implementation efforts. To learn more about the specific strategies and tactics involved in achieving the expansion of breakthrough research and creative endeavors, please view our Academic Affairs Strategic Plan.
Research, scholarly work and creative activities are an integral part of a student’s college experience, and many campuses have formalized programs that feature undergraduate research.
The Kent Campus showcased and recognized students for their work at its first Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity in April 2014.
KSU Salem students from all disciplines and programs participated in the ninth annual Undergraduate Research Conference held in December 2013. The conference featured student presentations about research they completed during the 2013 calendar year or in collaboration with a Salem Campus faculty member.
Each year, the Kent State Stark Campus Honors Program sponsors the Student Conference to showcase the academic talents of Kent State students. Students submitted proposals to present their papers, posters, artwork, music or theatre presentations. The conference is held annually in April.
There are many examples of faculty and undergraduate students working together on critical research projects. One notable example is Kent State University undergraduate student Jean Wilson Mutambuze and Jean Engohang-Ndong, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences at Kent State University at Tuscarawas, who are conducting a research project to manage a skin disease called Buruli Ulcer. Buruli Ulcer is a skin ailment caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium ulcerans that affects the skin and sometimes bone. Buruli Ulcer has been reported in more than 30 countries, including many African countries.
