At UC Merced, research is for undergrads, too
Modesto Bee 4/17/07
UC Merced is a research university, advancing understanding of life to benefit society while strengthening student learning.
The university's research program consists of about 200 projects going on at any given time, according to Sam Traina, vice chancellor for research. More than 70 full-time faculty work on two to four research projects at any time.
Some research has practical applications, some deals more with abstract ideas to better understand people and society.
For UC Merced's first Research Day on Monday, media representatives toured research projects studying stem cells, interactions between coral reef and algae, childhood nutrition, and the effect of arsenic on drinking water.
Because the campus is so small, undergraduates have a greater chance of participating in research usually reserved for graduate students.
"It's a significant advantage if students want to go to grad school," Traina said. "You can already demonstrate you have skills in that area."
Physics freshman Jeremy Sanborn is taking advantage of that availability. He serves as a research assistant, focusing on splicing optical fibers to study how lights interact.
Sanborn spends a few hours each week in labs for his classwork and an additional 10 hours a week as an assistant, he said.
"This is a place where you can open doors yourself," the Livermore native said. Through his early experience with research, Sanborn said, he's learned people skills, how to work with a team, and lots of patience for when things go wrong.
Students also displayed research posters in the library. About half of the 30 highlighted projects come from undergraduate students, Traina said.
Graduate student Shinichi Sunagawa presented his poster and participated in the media tour, detailing his work with coral reefs.
His research includes collaboration with Vassar College, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, the University of North Carolina at Wil-mington and the State University of New York, Buffalo.
Reefs are endangered, and they are enduring negative effects from global warming. The research goal is to better manage coral reefs and understand their molecular structure.
Originally from Germany, Sunagawa came to UC Merced to work under professor Monica Medina, whose projects he had seen online. He's pursuing a graduate degree in quantitative and systems biology.
"Fortunately, I came to a campus where this is emphasized," he said. "The faculty here, there's a feeling they can establish something innovative. They support each other."
Sunagawa and professors noted that UC Merced encourages collaboration. Professors and students working on separate research occasionally lend each other a hand.
Labs are set up in modules with six rows of workstations and computer desks with multiple projects going in one module. Smaller, enclosed labs feature simulations and experiments.
Professors' offices are across the hall for easy access.
"There's lots of sharing. It's very different from other places I've been. They are very isolated," professor Marcos Garcia-Ojeda said.