CURO offers seminars to introduce academically talented students to research in their chosen fields. These one-credit-hour pass/fail seminars are open to Honors students as early as their first semester. Non-Honors students with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 and fifteen UGA semester hours are also eligible. Participating in CURO research seminars helps students develop an understanding of the research process, identify and develop research interests into proposals, and locate faculty sponsors of student research. Contact Matt Jordan (mejordan@uga.edu; 542-5871) to sign up.

spring 2010 seminars | fall 2009 seminars

spring 2010 gateway seminars

HONS 3010H
Introduction to Research in the Arts
Call# 10-784
Mark Callahan
Artistic Director, Ideas for Creative Exploration (ICE)
markcall@uga.edu
1 credit hour
Wednesdays, 1:25-2:15 pm
Lamar Dodd School of Art Room S160

The Introduction to Research in the Arts seminar provides an overview of arts research, presents methodological models for sustaining research-based creative practice, and acts as a workshop for project development. The seminar will examine conventional and emerging forms of arts research, ranging from historical and critical studies to project-based works that address newer media and interdisciplinary approaches. Students will visit various areas of campus to become familiar with performance and exhibition resources at UGA and meet leading faculty and professionals who are conducting research in the Departments of Art, Dance, Theatre & Film Studies, English, Music, and ICE. Students will be exposed to a range of models for creative practice based on visits with faculty, outside reading, and discussion. The seminar will address ways that arts research is produced in the form of exhibitions, performances, and publications, and how institutional networks, grants, commissions, and entrepreneurial approaches support research-based cultural production. As a CURO Gateway Seminar, its purpose is to encourage undergraduates to understand the research process and discover tools to engage in original research of their own. It is a fun and informative way to learn about opportunities and resources at UGA and to meet some of the most exciting and creative faculty members in their studios.

HONS 3010H
Introduction to Research in the Arts
Call# 30-785
Dr. Katarzyna Jerzak
Associate Professor of Comparative Literature
kejerzak@uga.edu
1 credit hour
Wednesdays, 11:05am-12:15pm
Location: 513 Journalism

“MATH + SCIENCE  = SUCCESS” -- proclaim the billboards and the school boards.  It would seem that the humanities are being displaced from the curriculum and even from the cultural scene.  In bookstores it is easier to find gadgets and gimmicks than books. And yet UGA’s recent approval of a new Honors course entitled “Literature and Medicine” suggests a genuine need for the humanities among those who study the sciences.  

How does one go about doing relevant research in the humanities today?  In a good research library there are millions of books, articles, papers. How do you know what to read? And how do you read? Finally, how do you write about what you have found important? How do you ensure that the topic you have chosen will survive the process of research? These are the questions our seminar will address. The course will help you formulate research topics and will review various methodologies and tools used in the humanities with a special emphasis on interdisciplinary research.  In the process you will also meet faculty who will share their experience and with whom you may decide to work on your Honors research projects.

Books (available at the Off-Campus Bookstore on Baxter Street and at the University Bookstore):
The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, University of Chicago Press
Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Requirements: A short oral presentation on a chapter from one of the books and class participation.

HONS 3040H
Call # 50-786
Introduction to Research in Business and Finance
Dr. Annette Poulsen, Sterne Professor, Department Head, Department of Banking and Finance
1 credit hour
Tuesdays, 12:30-1:45pm
304 Sanford Hall

This introductory course is designed to be a primer for students interested in research in the business environment.  Students will gain an understanding of the research process, including development of the research question, methodologies, evidence and the ethical considerations.  Students will be educated on how to identify and approach a research mentor to fulfill their own goals of undergraduate research.  Students will also be given skills in how to read and evaluate journal articles and compose their own research proposal.  By the end, it is expected that students will be comfortable establishing contact with a faculty mentor and be able to provide some understanding and insight into the research process.

Research Proposal – The student will prepare a 1-page research proposal including a background/introduction and proposed question and method: In order to earn a passing grade, students must: 1) attend all lectures, 2) produce a journal article critique of sufficient quality, 3) produce a research proposal of sufficient quality, 4) read all assigned materials, 5) participate during class in discussions and question and answer.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the research process and will meet Terry faculty engaged in research. In addition to Professor Netter’s discussion of Finance there will be a presentation on Research in Management, Marketing, Accounting, Real Estate, Risk Management, Economics, and Information Systems by a Professor from Each Department.
• Learn about the relevance of research.
• Know how research is undertaken.
• Know the ethical considerations.
• Learn vocabulary of research and how it is used.
• Understand how to find research publications
• Understand how to read a journal article critically
• Learn how to make contact with faculty mentors for CURO research
• Know the elements of a research proposal and how to draft one.

HONS 3070H
Call # 90-788
Introduction to Research in the Natural and Biological Sciences
Dr. John Maerz, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
jmaerz@forestry.uga.edu
1 credit hour
Mondays, 12:20-1:10 pm
Building 1- Room 307, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources

The objective of this course is for students to become familiar with the broad scope of natural and biological sciences, to understand some of the important societal issues being addressed by natural and biological scientists, and if interested, to identify a potential mentor with whom they will continue with honors research. This course will include general overviews of research questions and methods in the natural and biological sciences, discussions of relevant papers from the primary literature, profiles of UGA professors actively working in the natural and biological sciences, and tours of specific research programs.

HONS 3070H
Call # 70-790
Introduction to Research in the Biological and Physical Sciences
Dr. Paul A. Schroeder
Professor, Geology
schroe@uga.edu
1 credit hour
Thursdays, 2:00-3:15 pm
002 Moore College

The line between the physical and biological sciences is blurrier each day.  We are fast learning that biological sciences are becoming more reliant on technology that is an outgrowth of the physical sciences.  The physical sciences are recognizing the importance of biologically mediated processes.

This seminar starts with a discussion of about what scientific research is (and what it is not).  We look at the components of making a successful biological/physical research program and brainstorm about student paradigms of research.  The following weeks involve visits to various researchers in and around the UGA scientific community.  Students conduct their own research by inquiring with active scientists about things such as: (1) How did you get started? (2) Who has influenced your career (both early and now)? (3) How do you fund research?  (4) How does industrial versus academic research compare?  (5) What role do students play in research?  (6) Do you collaborate outside your field? (7) How does your work fit into the broader context of your field?  (8) How is your teaching-, research-, and service-time distributed?  (9) To what extent does technology influence your research?  (10) What societies are you active in and how are you involved? All students create a 1-page resume to help them network and find opportunities to get involved in research.

fall 2009 gateway seminars

HONS 3010H
Introduction to Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences related to English Language and Linguistics
Call# 30-768
Dr. William A. Kretzschmar, Jr.
Harry and Jane Willson Professor in Humanities
Professor of English and Linguistics
kretzsch@uga.edu
1 credit hour
Mondays, 2:30-3:20 pm
202 Moore

This seminar will provide an overview of humanities and social science research with a special focus on a project (funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities) to create a digital archive from thousands of hours of audio-taped interviews. Numerous student assistants will work on the digital archive in connection with the grant, and students who complete the seminar will be excellent candidates for those positions and for Honors undergraduate research and thesis opportunities. This seminar will bring students into the middle of a famous 80-year-old research project, the American Linguistic Atlas Project, where they can learn about how large-scale research in the humanities and social sciences is conceived, executed, funded, and continued through the years. Participants will learn directly about archival practices including ethical treatment of research subjects, and about how technology is revolutionizing preservation and public access to language collections. Students will learn the actual techniques used on the project, including current best practices in the field of humanities computing that students can transfer to other work. Finally, the seminar will address the issue of collaborative research in the humanities and social sciences, in comparison with research carried out by individuals. This seminar is not designed to assist students in the writing of a research proposal for a thesis or capstone paper, but students in the seminar will find many avenues to develop proposals for their own ideas about English language and linguistics and American culture more generally.

HONS 3070H
Introduction to Research in the Biological Sciences
Call# 50-769
Dr. Marcus Fechheimer
Professor, Department of Cellular Biology
fechheim@cb.uga.edu
1 credit hour
Tuesdays, 2:00-3:15 pm
723 Biological Sciences

The Introduction to Research in the Biological Sciences seminar is intended for students interested in engaging in undergraduate research at the University of Georgia in the biological sciences. The major goal is to share the excitement for current findings in biological research, while exploring avenues for continuing research through Honors undergraduate research courses leading to a thesis. The class will focus on research areas, techniques, responsible conduct of research, and methods to identify and gain access to undergraduate research opportunities. Students will learn about professors on campus who may serve as mentors for their undergraduate research experience. Students will also learn about effective scientific communication skills. Students will read primary research papers and attend research lectures in order to gain appreciation for the variety, excitement, and significance of modern research in the biological sciences.

HONS 3070H
Introduction to Research in Clinical Medicine
Call# 30-771
Dr. Erik Hofmeister
Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine
1 credit hour
Wednesdays, 2:30-3:20 pm
339 Paul D. Coverdell Center

This introductory course is designed to be a primer for students interested in biological research with an emphasis on clinical veterinary and human medical research. Clinical research requires curiosity and creativity as well as an analytical mind, and these elements will be explored throughout the course. Students will gain an understanding of the research process, including recruiting subjects, the importance of evidence-based clinical practice, and the ethical handling of research subjects and data. Students will be educated on how to identify and approach a research mentor to fulfill their own goals of undergraduate research. Students will also be given skills in how to read and evaluate journal articles and compose their own research proposal. By the end, it is expected that students will be comfortable establishing contact with a faculty mentor and be able to provide some understanding and insight into the research process.

Assignments:
Journal Article Critique – The student will read a research publication on a topic of interest. They will produce a report detailing the significance of the work, a brief review of the methods and results and discussion, and a critique of their interpretation of the quality of the findings.
Research Proposal – The student will prepare a 1-page research proposal including a background/introduction and proposed methods section.
Expectations: In order to earn a passing grade, students must: 1) attend all lectures, 2) produce a journal article critique of sufficient quality, 3) produce a research proposal of sufficient quality, 4) read all assigned materials, 5) participate during class in discussions and question and answer.
Course Objectives:

• Understand the scientific process and how research is integral to that process.
  
• Learn about evidence-based medicine and the relevance of research for clinical practice.
  
• Know how clinical research is undertaken.
  
• Know the ethical considerations of clinical research.
  
• Learn vocabulary of research and how it is used.
  
• Understand how to find research publications
  
• Understand how to read a journal article critically
  
• Learn how to make contact with faculty mentors for CURO research
  
• Know the elements of a research proposal and how to draft one.

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