Individual Fellow Initiatives
Offering Real-World Opportunities for Students Enrolled in Statistics and Data Science Undergraduate Research
Cohort: 2023
Fellow: Layla Guyot
There is a need for offering data analysis support to our local communities. While many undergraduates
enrolled in our courses have expressed interest in conducting data analysis research projects, our department
doesn’t currently have a systematic way to offer these types of experiences. Thus, the primary goal of this
community-based service project is to provide both experiential learning and research opportunities for
undergraduates while supporting the broader Austin-area. Specifically, this project will coordinate with local
The Keys to Understanding History: Unlocking Digital Timelines
Cohort: 2016
Fellow: Erika Bsumek
This project started out with a simple idea: From my original proposal, we noted that “Current historical timelines are not interactive, nor do they enable students to understand connections between different events. They are good at showing chronology, but are not good at illustrating how specific events are influenced by a whole host of different historical factors.”
Curiosity to Question: a Multidisciplinary Open-Inquiry Course Focused on Research Design
Cohort: 2016
Fellow: Julia Clarke
Hands-on research experiences for undergraduates offer unique active-learning experiences with real-world questions. These experiences create communities and improve 4-year graduation rates. They may also help create a student body and alumni population that recognize the importance of the research mission of large R1 universities.
Freshman Introduction to Research in Engineering (FIRE)
Cohort: 2015
Fellow: Carolyn Seepersad
The goal of this initiative is to establish a freshman research program for mechanical engineering students that can serve as a template for an engineering-wide freshman research program. Many first-year students express an interest in participating in engineering research early in their college careers, but the perceived barriers can be high. It can be difficult for first-year students to navigate the research enterprise, and many professors are hesitant to hire first-year students. The potential advantages of freshman research, however, are much greater than the barriers