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Contact: Julie Navejar
kajam03@tamuk.edu or 361-593-2590

Undergraduate research program benefits graduation rate, GPA

research

KINGSVILLE (February 20, 2006) — Undergraduates in all departments of the College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences at Texas A&M University-Kingsville have been involved in important research for nearly a decade. Now the data is in and undergraduate researchers do better than their counterparts in a number of categories.

Drs. Doreen Kinkel and Scott Henke, professors in the animal and wildlife science department, compared academic performance and marketability of 50 student researchers versus 50 students who weren’t involved in the Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (URMP). They chose sophomore and juniors from 1998 through 2003.

What they discovered were that students in the URMP did better in all measured categories. The students in the URMP had a much higher graduation rate of 96 percent within six years compared to the 60 percent rate of non-URMP students. In addition, students in the program had a higher grade point average at graduation, 3.0, compared to 2.6 for students not in the program. Not only did URMP students have a higher grade point average at graduation, but also their average increased by 0.5 from their junior year to graduation, Henke said.

Students in the URMP showed a higher marketability after commencement, with 96 percent of the participants employed in their field of study by six months after graduation, compared to 68 percent from the non-URMP group. Participants also made $6,500 more per year in their starting salaries, Henke added.

Students interviewed said that URMP made them better prepared for employment, better organized as a student and better able to understand the applicability of their school work to actual jobs, Henke said.

“In addition to measurable data, this program helps undergraduate students see the connection between what they do in college and real life,” he said. “In doing the research work, they see how college and real life go hand in hand. It gives them the spark they need to get them where they want to be.”

Henke said the student works with the faculty member from start to finish, which includes getting all needed equipment organizing the field base and writing the findings into a manuscript.

Dr. Jamie Laurenz, chair of the animal and wildlife sciences department and assistant dean for research at the college, said the objectives of the URMP are to get undergraduates involved in research to foster critical thinking and problem solving skills by designing, conducting, analyzing and interpreting data.

One of the most important benefits to the students, Laurenz said, is the relationship that develops between the student and the mentor. “That is something some students have never had before. Most students have no idea what research is and that you can get a job in research as a career.”

Kinkel said it was the opportunity to do research as an undergraduate 30 years ago that got her interested in teaching and research as a career. “This program helps students get a sense of what the field is about beyond the classroom.”

To enhance the undergraduate research program, Kinkel has recently applied for a grant with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions division, which includes a portion of the money going to a program that allows freshmen to shadow students doing research.

The research process also encourages students to become effective written and oral communicators by presenting their research at professional meetings and lay audiences and by preparing a manuscript for scientific publication, Laurenz added.

During the time of the study, undergraduates participated in 21 publications with 12 in preparation and review in international and regional journals like the Texas Journal of Science, Conservation Biology and Southwestern Naturalist.

Students in the program have made 85 poster presentations at meetings of the American Society of Animal Science, The Wildlife Society Annual Conference and the Texas A&M University System Pathways to the Doctorate Symposium. These presentations have garnered 18 student awards.

URMP students regularly gain acceptance into prestigious graduate schools like Arizona State University, Auburn University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and the University of Illinois in addition to A&M-Kingsville.

Laurenz said the URMP has advantages for participating faculty as well. He said it could help a faculty member on their annual evaluation and increase external funding, publications and presentations. It also helps to identify prospective graduate students and increases student success rates.

He said the program requires time, expertise and interest from the faculty mentor. Each research project costs between $5,000 and $10,000, but most use outside funding sources.

This page last updated 21 February, 2006