The mission of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works is to promote and facilitate collaborative research projects for UVU students and faculty across all academic disciplines.
Utah Valley University believes that Faculty and Student Research is indeed the "pedagogy of the 21 century" and an increasingly important aspect of higher education. UVU believes that exceptionally capable and well-motivated faculty and students should have the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research within their field of study.
Research can help clarify one’s personal interests and plans after graduation by expounding upon a student's existing knowledge of a field and improve their perception of it.
Working with a faculty mentor is another opportunity for students to grow one's knowledge of a particular field, receive advice, network and add that professor as an academic reference for future academic and professional pursuits.
Research gives students the opportunity to demonstrate to future employers that they have harnessed a variety of skills and know how to take on projects. Research experience adds value to future academic and professional applications.
In addition to becoming familiar with the research process, students also develop skills like problem-solving, communication, and collaboration that are applicable for many settings.
"I'd encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity to apply for grants if they have ideas. The whole point of it is to give hands-on, real-world learning experience and it really does that. It's given me the opportunity to work on something that I came up with myself. I had to learn what is good about my idea, what is bad about my idea, and actually bring my idea to life because of that grant money."
Chandler Flinders - Engineering Student
Get involved today using the resources at the UVU library. The Fulton Library supports information access, student learning, and knowledge creation.