University of Arkansas Leads State with 54 SURF Awards

For the ninth consecutive year, the University of Arkansas led the state with 54 students being named as award recipients of 2005-06 State Undergraduate Research Fellowships. UA students set an overall record one year ago, when 39 students were named SURF award recipients.<br>

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - For the ninth consecutive year, the University of Arkansas led the state with 54 students being named as award recipients of 2005-06 State Undergraduate Research Fellowships. UA students set an overall record one year ago, when 39 students were named SURF award recipients.

The SURF program was created in 1992 with a start-up grant from the National Science Foundation and is intended to foster active student/mentor relationships. After two years, funding for the fellowships shifted from the science foundation to the state of Arkansas.

"The SURF program supports an essential partnership between faculty and students," Chancellor John White said. "Our faculty members embrace the opportunity to involve undergraduates in their research. This is only a portion of the undergraduate research conducted on our campus. We take great pride in our students' involvement in the creation of new questions, new ideas and new solutions through this and other undergraduate research programs. These hands-on experiences will prove mutually beneficial to faculty members and students."

Awards range from $1,200 to $2,900 for the student. The student's faculty mentor receives $1,000. Undergraduate students with a 3.5 grade-point average from any discipline planning a research or artistic project for the coming year are eligible to apply.

"The SURF program has evolved strikingly in a little more than a decade, providing exceptional opportunities for more students." said Collis Geren, dean of the UA Graduate School and long-time member of the state SURF committee. "In 1993, the first year these fellowships were awarded, the university had three award recipients in Fulbright College and three in the College of Engineering. The SURF has helped shape undergraduate research in this state, creating more activity, more faculty/student partnerships. It has been a pleasure to watch this program grow, achieve its goals and assist the university in achieving ours."

To be considered for the fellowship, a student must be nominated by a faculty mentor. Nominees submit a five-page project/research proposal and additional letters of recommendation.

Of the 54 award recipients, 31 students are enrolled in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; three students are in the College of Engineering; three are in the College of Education and Health Professions; five students are in the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences; and 12 students are enrolled in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.The university submitted 145 applications for consideration to the SURF committee.

 "The SURF grants have proven to be an effective way for undergraduates to engage in research activities that will make them more competitive for graduate, medical and law schools and for top positions in their fields.  University of Arkansas SURF recipients have gone on to be Rhodes, Marshall, Barry Goldwater, Morris Udall and Fulbright scholars as well as National Science Foundation graduate fellows," according to Suzanne McCray, associate dean of the Honors College and director of the Office of Post-Graduate Fellowships. "Last year, all three of our Barry Goldwater recipients had been SURF recipients. It's an important first step."

The SURF program grant is administered through Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., and the annual Arkansas Undergraduate Research Conference is held at Henderson State's campus where most UA SURF recipients present their research. A journal of student papers is published from those proceedings.

For more information on this year's conference, scheduled for April, visit http://www.hsu.edu/. For more information about these UA students, their proposals and their faculty mentors, contact the UA Honors College at 575-7678.

State Undergraduate Research Fellowships 2006

Student's Name                       Major                                          Mentor's Name

Joel Gallagher                            Biology                                         Billy Hargis

Dwayne Bensing                        Pol.Sci/Comm.                              Lindsley Smith

Allison Burbank                         Biology                                         Jeannine Durdick

Jason Connolly                           CLST/Germ                                  Donald Engels

Hannah DeBerg                         Physics/Math                                Greg Salamo

Lauran Elam                               French                                          Kathleen Comfort

Emily Hollingsworth                    Geology                                        Doy Zachry

Christina Sears                           Biology                                         Mack Ivey

Rohitha SriRamaratnam              Biochemistry                                 Matthias McIntosh

Tamara Thomas                         Biology                                         David McNabb

Christopher Wells                      Physics/Math                                William Oliver

Elizabeth Dodson                       Finance                                         Craig Rennie

Amber Jackson                          Marketing                                     John Norwood

Matt Schilb                                MGMT                                         Bill Hardgrave

Meggan Sexton                          Marketing                                     Molly Rapert

Sarah Wilcoxson                        Accounting                                    Doyle Williams

Mauricio Carrasco                     Industrial Engr.                              C. Richard Cassady

Rawahuddin Naseem                 Biological Engr.                             Jin-Woo Kim

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Suzanne McCray, associate dean, UA Honors College
(479) 575-4883, smccray@uark.edu

Gina King, associate director for media relations, University Relations
(479) 575-3583, ginak@uark.edu