FAYETTEVILLE -- Rachel Moline, an honors political science senior in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, recently received a 2019 State Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Moline is from Bella Vista and will use funding from the fellowship to complete a research project entitled "Explaining Authoritarian Regime Persistence in Latin America." Her research mentor is Jeffrey Ryan, associate professor of political science.
"My SURF project is something that I am so passionate about," said Moline. "I am absolutely thrilled to be a recipient of this grant and am looking forward to completing my research."
Students must have an excellent academic record and the support of a faculty mentor to be eligible to apply to the program. To be considered for an award, students must submit a detailed research proposal and letters of recommendation from faculty.
The SURF program is funded by the state of Arkansas and was originally created in 1992 with start-up funding from the National Science Foundation. It is designed to encourage original research by undergraduate students at colleges and universities in Arkansas. The fellowship gives students the opportunity to complete a research project of their own design under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The program awards selected students a stipend and travel funds, which can be used for research-related travel and to present research at a professional conference. Faculty mentors also receive a small stipend.
"The state-sponsored Student Undergraduate Research Fellowships represent an exceptional opportunity for undergraduates in this state," said Jim Coleman, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. "Through this award, Arkansas is encouraging students to frame important questions and, with the support of faculty mentors, to seek innovative answers for those questions. The awards help form partnerships between faculty and students that lead to the creation of new knowledge, new solutions and new creative work. Undergraduates who receive the SURF present their work at conferences, submit their papers for professional review, and often have their work published in prestigious journals. It is a terrific way to push students to think critically, and it can launch students on their way to a career that includes research. The experience benefits faculty and students, as well as our community and the state."
The University of Arkansas' Office of Nationally Competitive Awards works in partnership with the Honors College, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and academic departments across campus to advise UA students on SURF grants. The SURF program is administered and funded through the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, with individual colleges and universities providing matching funds. Many SURF recipients present their research at the annual Arkansas Undergraduate Research Conference held at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.
General News on 04/17/2019