A person wearing a white EEG cap covered with numerous electrodes and wires sits facing the camera. Additional sensors are attached to their face, including one on the forehead with a circular black-and-white target design and another near the cheek. The person is wearing a light-colored sweatshirt and is seated against a dark background,
Fourth-year student Sana Shehabi models a brain cap covered with multiple electrodes that measures brain activity. The cap was a tool used in her research study. (Courtesy of Sana Shehabi)

UC Davis puts student researchers in the forefront

  • by Ginger M Welsh

Undergraduate students find pathways to research in traditional and avant-garde ways at the University of California, Davis. For many undergraduates, early exposure to research sculpts their career journeys in new direction. Every year, the Undergraduate Research Center introduces and connects students to hands-on research through programs, conferences, workshops, awards and mentor-mentee opportunities.

Undergraduate Research Awards

The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Undergraduate Research, the Dean Keith Simonton Prize for Creativity in Undergraduate Research and the Hanson Family Undergraduate Research Publication Award recognize deserving students, faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

Graduate Sana Shehabi won a chancellor’s award at the annual Spring Awards Ceremony last month. She designed and led an EEG-based study exploring how the brain processes speech in noisy environments. Working in the Speech, Neuroengineering and Cybernetics Lab, she analyzed how individual cognitive differences affect auditory attention.

“I study cognitive science because I have always been fascinated by how the brain makes sense of the world, including how we pay attention, learn and make decisions,” Shehabi said. “Doing research as an undergraduate allowed me to investigate these questions, not just read about them.”

Shehabi also received the Hanson Family Publication Award. She presented at multiple conferences, including the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference. Additionally, the eNeuro journal recently published her research findings.

Aggie Scholars Research Initiative

The Undergraduate Research Center launched the Aggie Scholars Research Initiative this spring. The program seeks to expand research opportunities for social sciences, arts and humanities undergraduates.

Two people stand smiling indoors at an event venue. The person on the left wears a blue Los Angeles Dodgers cap, glasses, and a dark jacket over a floral shirt. The person on the right wears large orange glasses, a denim jacket with a shearling collar, and shiny green pants, holding a light blue folder. Stage lights, curtains, and event equipment are visible in the background.
Jacob Cotero, left, interviewed Eduardo Arenas, founding member and bassist of Chicano Batman. (Courtesy of Jacob Cotero)

Studying cinema and digital media, sixth-year student Jacob Cotero created a documentary, East Los Burger, which explores the cultural legacy of family-run burger spots in East Los Angeles. Cotero interviewed community leaders, artists and restaurant owners across East Los Angeles. He enhanced his project’s background by reviewing archival research at the UCLA Film & Television Archive and local historical societies.

“My goal was to bring together storytelling, memory and neighborhood identity,” Cotero said. “Local family restaurants end up carrying the legacy of the communities, creating a unique type of meeting-around-the-dinner-table experience. They provide immense stability for a community that is experienced in combatting economic and social injustice for decades while remaining an unincorporated city sect of Los Angeles County.”

Mentor-Mentee program

The Mentor-Mentee Program in Humanities, Arts, Cultural Studies and Social Sciences supports undergraduate students by pairing them with graduate student mentors currently engaged in research. The program helps undergraduates build confidence and skills in academic research, critical thinking, and graduate school preparation. Further, it benefits graduate mentors by developing their mentorship, advising and professional development skills.

Two smiling individuals stand side by side in a hallway in front of a bulletin board labeled 'Department of Sociology.' The person on the left is wearing a maroon cardigan, dark top, and denim shorts. The person on the right is wearing glasses, a light green T-shirt, black shorts, and a watch, with sunglasses hanging from their shirt. A classroom sign labeled '1291' and an evacuation plan are visible on the wall.
Candice Phan, left, and Patrick Chan participated in a mentor-mentee program for students studying humanities, social sciences and the arts. (Courtesy of Sandra Wilson)

Third-year student Candice Phan said she was delighted to learn mentors were available in the social sciences at UC Davis. Graduate student Patrick Chan served as her mentor for the program.

“I enjoyed spending time with Patrick. Every time we met, he would have what I needed and encouraged me to take the next steps,” Phan said.  “He helped me with time management and organization, and ultimately, I felt well-prepared for the programs I was interested in pursuing."

Next steps for graduates

Graduate Zoa Wilhoite also received a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. She completed a double major in sociology and statistics. Wilhoite studied in both fields because she considered it necessary to develop a broad toolset to effectively tackle the issues that concerned her.

“I hope that by consciously merging statistical analysis with sociological frameworks, I can be a part of a sincere and effective effort to address inequality, foster connection, embrace the complex and ultimately do right by others,” said Wilhoite. “I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in the social sciences, and a mixed-methodological skillset is intrinsic to the types of change I want to achieve in my future.”

Research skills create opportunities

Studies show that student researchers gain valuable skills that translate to job interviews and expanded career options. The Undergraduate Research Center helps all students take those steps in many ways.

“If a student learns and practices research skills as an undergraduate, the sky is the limit for where they can go,” said Raynell Hamilton-Starks, Undergraduate Research Center director.

"A student stands next to a research poster titled 'The San Joaquin Valley: A Case Study in Intersectional Methodology' at an academic conference. The student is gesturing toward a pie chart on the poster while explaining the research to an attendee. The poster features sections on introduction, methods, qualitative and quantitative results, and conclusions. It is branded with the UC Davis logo and includes charts and graphs. The student wears glasses, a plaid top, and a conference badge on a blue lanyard.
Zoa Wilhoite, right, presented original research at the annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference. (Courtesy of Zoa Wilhoite)

 

The Undergraduate Research Center, a unit within the Office of Undergraduate Education, encourages and facilitates research opportunities for UC Davis undergraduates in all majors and class levels.