Oct. 31, 2023

The Student Success Sequence: Finding Your People

If you are one of the thousands of University of Missouri students from out-of-state, the struggle of being away from home for the first time is all too familiar. For others, building a community far away from old friends and family is a daunting enough task that they decide to not leave their home state. Maddie Reiser, a Mizzou senior majoring in political science and minoring in business, is about as far from home as you can get. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, at the age of 10 Reiser and her family moved to Pleasant Plains, Illinois. From…

Oct. 29, 2023

Making Connections

When Manisha Muthukaruppan arrived on the University of Missouri campus in August to begin her first semester, she knew there were going to be multiple chances to make connections with her fellow Tigers. The freshman biochemistry major has taken advantage of those opportunities. Muthukaruppan has joined a handful of organizations during her first semester, such as the Pre-Med Scholars, Biochemistry Club, Asian American Association, South Asian Student Association and Mizzou Masti (Bollywood dance team). She is also helping other students get involved as a member of the Honors College Programming Board. “When I first stepped on…

Oct. 8, 2023

Contributing to Vital Research in African Linguistics

Undergraduate students who are part of the Collaborative Research in African Languages (CORAL) team at the University of Missouri contribute to vital research in African linguistics. Students perform a variety of tasks depending on their experience, their interests and the needs of the team. Some of that work includes extracting linguistic data from existing sources, such as vocabulary from dictionaries, and working with software to align transcriptions and translations with audio from interviews. The CORAL team, which began in 2016, is an extension of two separate National Science Foundation (NSF) grants secured by Mizzou faculty – Michael Marlo,…

Oct. 5, 2023

ASH Scholars Program Promotes Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

A unique collaboration between the University of Missouri Office of Undergraduate Research and the MU Honors College has led to an ongoing research opportunity for undergraduate students involved in the arts, social sciences and humanities (ASH) disciplines. The ASH Scholars Program began in 2016 and has continued to grow over the years, including bringing in a new team this year. With the addition of the Santa Fe Trail research project, the ASH Scholars Program now features five teams that research a variety of topics. “The goal was to replicate the benefits of working…

Oct. 4, 2023

Examining Close Relationships

Undergraduate students at the University of Missouri who participate in the Close Relationships research project study how youths’ interactions with close relationship partners shape their development and emotional adjustment. Students approach the study of relationships from a lifetime perspective – with a primary focus on childhood and adolescence. It’s a project that has been ongoing since 2017 and is led by Amanda Rose, a professor of psychological sciences, and Ashley Groh, an associate professor of psychological sciences. The research was born out of a different project that Rose and Groh were co-supervising with a doctoral student focused on…

Oct. 4, 2023

Studying the Importance of Minority-Focused Content

The Minority Focused News as a Locus of Empowerment research team investigates the manners in which news websites and streaming platforms that serve under-represented and marginalized populations provide a benefit to society. Undergraduate students at the University of Missouri who participate in the research seek to understand how identity-focused content serves as a safe space for those affected groups. The original research was born out of work that Chris Josey, an associate teaching professor of communication at MU, started as a graduate student at the University of Illinois. Josey, who helps lead the team at Mizzou, conducted research…

Oct. 4, 2023

Exploring Death Through the Lens of Artistic Production

Since 2017, the Art of Death research project has allowed undergraduate students at the University of Missouri to normalize conversations about death and dying through the lens of artistic production. Students use a variety of media tools – such as virtual reality (VR), projection mapping, augmented reality (AR) and video art – to generate creative projects that explore death and dying. The innovative project is also an interdisciplinary one. Led by Katina Bitsicas, an assistant professor in the MU School of Visual Studies, and Debora Verniz, an assistant professor of architectural studies, students have the opportunity to confront…

Oct. 4, 2023

A Historical Dive into the Santa Fe Trail

An important piece of Missouri history, the Santa Fe Trail connected the Show-Me State to present day Santa Fe, New Mexico, providing a valuable trade route through the middle of a still growing United States. The trail has been of interest to historians in the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy – and a new research project will now allow undergraduate students at the University of Missouri to excavate historical data related to the trail. Through the ASH Scholars Program, the Santa Fe Trail research team will not only dive into the importance of the trail, but…

Sep. 19, 2023

What’s the Buzz About Bees?

A member of the board of advisors for the Boone Regional Beekeepers Association and a beekeeping project leader for Sustain Mizzou, George Frees has shared his bee expertise with a variety of audiences across Missouri over the years. Community members, elementary students and various school groups have all benefited from his knowledge and instruction on caring for one of the world’s most important pollinators. Frees is now bringing that passion to University of Missouri Honors College students. Frees, a junior biochemistry and plant sciences double major, is co-teaching an Honors Seminar with Bethany Stone, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor…

Aug. 21, 2023

Sharing Stories and Highlighting Experiences

In high school, Jasmine Jackson was encouraged to find hands-on learning experiences that lined up with her passions. Jackson had enjoyed reading and writing since she was young and decided she would give writing for her school’s newspaper a try. After her first assignment, she was hooked. Jackson worked for her school’s newspaper, in Columbus, Nebraska, for two years, covering a variety of stories and individuals as a reporter. “As I started looking at potential career options, I was repeatedly told to do what I love,” Jackson said. “With my interest in reading and writing, I thought…