Diana Ridgwell runs the CLAHS undergraduate research institute.
Since 2005, the Undergraduate Research Institute for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences has flourished into one of the most comprehensive undergraduate programs at Virginia Tech. Within a short period of time, the URI has developed the Philologia Undergrad Research Journal, multiple URI workshops, a URI Kick Off event and even held the Summer Interdisciplinary Research Program.
Even though the program is relatively new, the URI has already received the Virginia Tech Exemplary Department Award in 2008.
With an award behind them, the URI only continues to expand. Future plans for the URI include creating undergraduate and graduate mentoring programs, continuing production of Philologia and attempting to develop more undergraduate research opportunities internationally.
When Diana Ridgwell came to Tech in search of a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, there was no developed undergraduate research department program for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Ridgwell’s career quickly broadened as she became involved in the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office for the CLAHS and took on the role of director of student development. This role found her searching for ways to enhance the undergraduate experience at Tech. While she works with several other programs including student leadership, study abroad and career and graduate school planning, one of her main focuses is on undergraduate research.
Today Ridgwell is the director of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Undergraduate Research Institute. Her commitment, along with a highly involved faculty committee, has guided and helped develop the successful institute. In fact, other institutions across the nation have contacted Ridgwell wanting to model programs and services at their establishments after those offered by the URI. While her initial input was to focus on the creation of a research institute, Ridgwell also serves as an advisor to Philologia, the undergraduate student research journal which grew from the activities of the URI.
The Collegiate Times met with Ridgwell in order to discuss the growth of undergraduate research within CLAHS and what opportunities are available through URI.
CT: The Undergrad Research Institute Web site claims that the program “aims to expose undergraduates to investigation, inquiry and creative expression in the liberal arts and human sciences.” What types of research are available to undergraduates?
RIDGWELL: Anything related to one of our majors and one of our or fields of study. Every field has their own way of doing scholarly work, and all of those are great experiences for undergraduate students. There has been research about creative design, poetry, theater set design, policy studies and your general types of research articles. Topics range anywhere from child development to creative writing to international studies issues. That is why we established the URI, so we could display the array of work that was being done in our college. Students go from taking in knowledge to being part of the creation. As a research university, we should be teaching our students to be engaged and active learners, and that’s what you get from undergraduate research.
CT: How does undergraduate research benefit students?
A version of this article appeared in the Mar 26 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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