Dean's Corner

by Mary Nisbet, Associate Dean

As I write this at the end of fall quarter, Nan Anderson (the URCA coordinator) and I have just completed our sixth cycle of awarding URCA grants to support undergraduates’ mentored research. We again had a large number of applications, and the proposals we received were of excellent quality. This year was an especially challenging one for us because of budget cuts but we received funding from Dean Wyner, the Executive Vice-Chancellor, Gene Lucas, and the Vice Chancellor for Research Michael Witherell that allowed us to provide support to all projects that received approval from the faculty reviewers. Overall, we funded 102 proposals (up from 80 last year) and awarded around $105,000 (up from $87,000 last year). In addition to supporting students who wish to do research, the URCA office also supports opportunities for students to present the results of their research and creative activities. In particular, we hold the annual Undergraduate Research Colloquium each year in spring quarter, and this year the Colloquium will be held on Thursday, May 15 in the Corwin Pavilion. We strongly encourage all students who are undertaking research or any kind of creative activity to present their work at this fun event and, if you are not yet involved in research, that you come along and see the variety and quality of the original work undertaken by our undergraduates. Further information about both URCA grants and the Colloquium can be found on the URCA website or by contacting the URCA office at 2105 North Hall.

I would also like to bring to your attention two wonderful opportunities for UCSB students. Both the UC Washington Center Program (UCDC) and the University of California Center in Sacramento (UCCS) allow students to spend a quarter interning in either the nation's or the state’s capital while earning a full load of UCSB units. The UCDC Program is offered four times each year – fall, winter, spring, and summer and the UCCS Program is offered during the fall, winter and spring quarters only. For both the UCDC and the UCCS programs, students receive academic credit for working in a structured internship with an agency or organization of their choice and for enrolling in a research seminar. The weekly seminar instructs students in the development of an original research project—usually on a topic related to their internship experience—culminating in the submission of a substantial final paper at the end of the quarter. For UCDC, students also have the option of earning additional academic credit by completing elective courses taught by UC faculty in residence at the Washington Center. For both programs, guest speakers and field trips are also regularly scheduled in conjunction with the other UC participants.

There is no question that UCSB provides many ways to enhance your education and students in the honors program are particularly well qualified and positioned to make the most of these. I encourage you to seize these opportunities to make sure you get the best from UCSB.

Mary

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