NU’s UCARE program turns 10

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has always prided itself on its accomplishments as a research university.

For the past 10 years, the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences program at UNL has provided a means for undergraduate students to assist faculty members with their research projects. The program has grown since it launched, said Laura Damuth, director of UCARE.

UCARE started with about 100 students and now includes 450 students, she said.

Over the past 10 years, the program has served a total of about 25,000 students and 800 faculty members, Damuth said.

The mission of UCARE has been to enhance undergraduate students' college experience, she said, which has not changed.

Students who join UCARE spend two years working on a project. The first year is considered a training a year. The second year, students are able to take more ownership of the project, Damuth said.

UCARE's two-year timetable separates it from similar programs at other colleges and universities, which typically last one semester or a year, Damuth said. The program allows students to see that university faculty have a whole life at the university besides teaching, she said.

"I hope the impact on the students has been to change some of the undergraduate culture," Damuth said.

Being in the program could help students decide whether they want to go to graduate school in their field, she said.

The faculty want to engage students in research, she said, and they benefit because they have people to assist them in research.

Jill Walahoski, assistant extension educator for 4-H Youth Services, is one of the faculty supervisors this year. Her first year working with the program has been a positive experience, she said.

"Students are taking the initiative," Walahoski said.

It's a great partnership between students who have a research project and faculty, she said.

Walahoski said she hopes to continue her involvement with the project.

"We certainly want to stay involved and connected with students who want to do their first research project," she said.

The number of students involved with the program is higher than average as well, Damuth said.

"I know my colleagues across the country might only support only 20 students a year," she said.

The UCARE program brings a lot of funding to diverse projects at UNL, Damuth said, and has also helped attract students to the university.

"The cool thing about UCARE is when you look at the research in the university, students are involved," she said.

kimbuckley@dailynebraskan.com