Undergraduate research journal launches

Undergraduate students at Charlotte who participate in research under the guidance of faculty mentors now have the opportunity to publish and share broadly the outcomes of their work and collaborative experiences. The inaugural edition of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Undergraduate Research Journal launched in November highlighting the projects of eight student-professor partnerships.

Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), the open-access, peer-reviewed journal — which will be published annually in the fall — allows students to develop writing and editing skills related to the scientific process and critical thinking that are inherent in their research experiences. It is one more service OUR provides, along with identifying and developing research mentors, seeking funding sources for undergraduate research, offering professional development to students about the research process and making possible student participation in research symposia and national conferences, to name a few.

“OUR’s aim is for research to be a central feature of the Charlotte undergraduate experience, for every academic discipline,” said Erin Banks, the office’s assistant dean. “A research journal whose entries undergo a rigorous review by a board of student and faculty reviewers communicates the quality of work undertaken, the commitment of faculty to mentor and inspire their students, and the value the University places on research for students at every level for defining careers and contributing to high-quality scholarship.”

Publishing as a career catalyst

Cesar Alzate, a computer engineering major and physics minor, from Bogota, New Jersey, worked with Xingjie Helen Li, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics. Their interdisciplinary project, which is featured in the journal’s first edition, assessed specific details related to COVID-19 across North Carolina, and involved epidemiology, mathematical modeling, statistical analysis and scientific computing.

“The journal article serves as my transition to applying knowledge from my first two years in engineering; before then the only application was more classes,” Alzate said. “With publication, my professional career is being pushed forward, and it will help me accomplish my goals in aerospace. The University must publish the journal so others can apply this same methodology to new diseases in the future. Catching trends early will save lives, and having these methods in place will allow rapid insight into the disease’s effects.”

Out of the gate

The projects included in the introductory edition of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Undergraduate Research Journal (with links to abstracts and PDFs to articles) are:

“Crisis for the University Student: Changing Student Housing and Growing Cost Burden”
Connor Wood ‘20 B.S., geography; Claire Schuch, postdoctoral fellow in receptivity, inclusion and community engagement

“The Study of Covid-19 Within the State of North Carolina in the United States”
Cesar Alzate, computer engineering major; Xingjie Helen Li, assistant professor, mathematics and statistics

“Practice What They Preach?: How Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Using Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices Aligns with Their Perceptions of Diversity”
Faith Frayman, elementary and special education majors; Erin Fitzpatrick, assistant professor, special education and child development; Cindy Gilson, associate professor, special education; Tehia Glass, associate professor, reading and elementary education

“Racial Bias in Traffic Stops: The City of Charlotte”
Carson Groulx, mathematics and data science majors; Anthony Fernandes, associate professor, mathematics and statistics

“Beyond the Knowledge Economy: Social Circus as an Intersectional Avenue to Global Aesthetics and Universal Ethics”
Krysta Rogden ‘19, dance, performance and theory; Gretchen Alterowitz, associate professor, dance

“Cambridge Women and the Professional World: Navigating Gender Conservatism in the Late Victorian Era”
Olivia Dobbs, history and Japanese majors; Amanda Pipkin, associate professor, history

“Community and the Built Environment: The Physical and Social Consequences of Gentrification in Charlotte’s Lockwood”
Quinton Frederick, architecture and history majors; Nicole Peterson, associate professor, anthropology

“The Criminal Cannibal: Examining the Similarities of Cannibalistic Offenders”
Brittany Elizabeth Carroll ‘20, psychology and criminal justice majors; Charisse T.M. Coston, associate professor, criminal justice and criminology

Learn more

• To become a faculty mentor to undergraduate students for academic year or summer research, email Erin Banks, ebanks10@uncc.edu or undergradresearch@uncc.edu.
• Save the date for the 2022 (Virtual) Undergraduate Research Conference, April 21-22.
• For information about professional development workshops, conferences and other OUR opportunities, visit our.charlottewp.psapp.dev.