~A Letter
from the Advisors~
Until recently, students were seldom able to participate
fully in research as a part of their undergraduate education. That has
changed. In recent years, undergraduates in every field at UC Irvine
have included a faculty-mentored research project or creative activity
as a part of their education; more than one third of the students in
each graduating class have enrolled in independent research courses,
and thousands more undergraduates have carried out research projects
or taken other classes with research-related components.
Since 1998, The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal has showcased some
of the best undergraduate research conducted at UC Irvine. Out of 64
papers submitted for possible publication in this volume, the five contained
herein demonstrate the breadth and depth of work being done. Looking
for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, considering the nature of time,
evaluating the economic ramifications of rapid transit use, analyzing
pluralism in Iraq, and studying olfactory mechanisms in fruit fly brains;
these five topics have little in common other than their authors’ passion
for and commitment to their research.
Publishing the Journal is an enormous task, and our thanks go out to
the many people who have contributed to its success. The undergraduate
students who comprise the Journal’s Student Editorial Board spent
many hours evaluating each of the submissions, debating their merits,
and editing those selected for publication. The distinguished members
of the UROP Faculty Advisory Board lent their expertise, experience and
judgment in ensuring that the papers in this year’s Journal demonstrate
only the highest standards of research in their fields. The diligence
of the authors is apparent in each of their papers. Finally, we cannot
highlight enough the contributions of their faculty mentors; by guiding,
questioning, leading, and challenging their students, they have helped
ensure that the next generation of researchers and scholars can follow
in their accomplished footsteps.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the organization
responsible for the Journal, is dedicated to supporting the research
community at UCI. Founded in 1995, UROP has supported thousands of undergraduates,
providing unique opportunities for them to engage in research and creative
projects, and inspiring them to lives of discovery and inquiry-based
learning. In addition to the Journal, UROP advises and assists students
in pursuing on-and off-campus opportunities, funding undergraduate research
projects through two annual Calls for Proposals. UROP also sponsors a
number of programs that provide students with stipends, enabling them
to dedicate themselves to their research full-time over the summer. The
annual UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium provides an opportunity to
celebrate the students’ research accomplishments.
We hope that this volume of the Journal inspires you to consider the
enormous role that research can play in an undergraduate education. By
becoming fully immersed in the research process at this early stage,
this volume’s authors and their fellow students are getting an
early start in developing the skills, knowledge and expertise that will
help propel them to successful and productive careers in whatever fields
they choose to pursue.
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