2020 President’s Letter

Letter from the Crawfords

26^th Undergraduate Research Forum, April 29^th 2020

Welcome to the 2020 Undergraduate Research Forum—a celebration of inquiry, creativity, and knowledge creation—hallmarks of the Miami University Experience.  For the first time in our history, this year’s Forum will be a virtual event and will provide the opportunity for presenters and participants alike to engage with each other in new and innovative ways.

For 26 years, this forum has highlighted our faculty and students using research to extend the Miami University classroom education into laboratories, fieldwork, and into our surrounding communities. Through analyzing data, designing studies to advance scholarship, and presenting results, Miami students demonstrate skills that are essential to success in today’s global and interconnected world. The annual Undergraduate Research Forum is an incredible showcase of Miami’s student-as-scholar model.

This year, we celebrate 329 projects presented by more than 500 undergraduate researchers, mentored by 154 faculty. Our sincere gratitude goes out to the faculty mentors who guide this undergraduate experience—an experience that has differentiated Miami University for generations.  In addition to these faculty, we also proudly recognize the 73 graduate student mentors who played significant roles in 112 of these projects. A special thanks to e-Learning, IT Services, University Libraries, Career Services, and Student Disability Services who have assisted the Office of Research for Undergraduates, to bring the Online Forum to life. Likewise, thank you to the students, faculty and staff whose participation makes this virtual Forum a success. 

In 2019-2020, over 2000 Miami students have worked with professors/mentors on funded research. This is yet another example of how Miami embraces the power of scholarly research to not only enhance the student experience, but also to change the world.

In Love and Honor,