Just in case you haven’t noticed, SIU has amazing students. Our mission is to give them equally amazing opportunities to contribute to the discovery of new knowledge through research and creative activities.
One way we support student research is through REACH grants and Tedrick Undergraduate Research Fellowships. These competitive grant programs provide undergraduate students with funding to complete research and creative projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
More than 30 students earn grants
Yesterday, we announced that more than 30 students have won these prestigious undergraduate research grants and will begin work on their projects this fall.
The topics of their projects are wide-ranging and impressive. Here are just a few:
- “Arsenic Filtration from Contaminated Water”
- “Veterans and Their Reintegration to Civilian Lifestyle: The Roles of Communities and Recreational Activities”
- “Flash Drought in the United States: Drivers, Causes, and Predictability”
- “Units: An Exploration of Modular Construction”
- “Use of Combined DHF and Environmental Enrichment in the Treatment of Pediatric Frontal Brain Injury”
- “Modulation of Bone Marrow Functions During Salmonella typhimurium Infection”
I encourage you to learn more about the proposals from these remarkable students. Each of them — as well as other students across campus who engage in research and creative efforts in our laboratories, classrooms and other facilities — will gain experience that will make them more competitive and successful after they graduate.
A personalized experience
Opportunities like the REACH grants and Tedrick fellowships demonstrate the value of attending a research university. Our students benefit from hands-on, experiential learning mentored by nationally and internationally recognized faculty. And they don’t get lost as they might at a larger institution. This is why I continue to say that SIU stands out because we can provide an elite, personalized private university experience at a public university cost.
We cannot do this without the commitment of our faculty and the support of our friends. The new Tedrick fellowships, for example, are possible thanks to a generous donation from SIU alumni Roger and Sally Tedrick.
I know you share my thanks to the Tedricks and my pride in our students.