By JORDAN LEWIS

Staff Writer, UAS Whalesong

Conducting research in any given field of study can be difficult. Conducting research as an undergraduate student can be even harder.  The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities program at UAS allows students the opportunity to work with professors research or creative projects that interest them.

URECA awards up to $2,500 per student in project funding. Students compete for the awards by putting together a proposal with a faculty member(s).

“Our mission here at UAS is student learning and student success. One of the things that we really put a premium on is providing students with exceptional hands-on learning opportunities,” UAS Chancellor Rick Caulfield told the Whalesong after the event. 

Caulfield said it always pleases him to hear that “the students have been able to develop a close working relationship with a faculty member and have been able to build on something that they have a special interest in.”

The URECA program has been a way to spotlight undergraduate research at UAS for about seven years.

Third-year environmental science student Connor Johnson participated in this year’s symposium. 

Johnson’s project on influences of watersheds on aquatic systems was presented during this year’s symposium and was conducted in conjunction with Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center.

There were six research projects awarded this year and the presentation of Claire Helgeson’s essay from the UAS Essay writing competition.

“If you are developing skills as an undergrad, it’d be a great opportunity for you to do any type of research you can with anyone you can,” Johnson said. “URECA is for anyone. Anyone who wants to do it should fill out an application.”

The application process for the URECA program starts in October and ends in early December.