As a college long committed to undergraduate research, Union encourages its students to ask “why” and “how”. One of the most common ways we encourage this attitude is to foster close working relationships between faculty and students. In every academic department, students regularly work one-on-one with their professors. Our approach has several benefits:

• Students develop a critical understanding of their field through learning the current state of knowledge.
• Students gain experience and confidence in knowing when and how to ask the right questions to solve difficult problems.
• Students often have the satisfying experience of coauthoring publications and delivering papers at conferences.

If you like the idea of independent study and research, you can explore many of these opportunities at Union . Our faculty are encouraging, and all of our research facilities are available to undergraduates. Here are some specific examples of the ways that student-faculty collaborative scholarly activity is promoted at Union :

• Summer Undergraduate Research : More then 50 students are supported each summer by the College on independent projects with a sponsoring faculty member.
• Internal Education Fund : The College provides financial support for more then 100 students every year, helping them pay for senior thesis/project work expenses.
• National Conference on Undergraduate Research : Every year Union sends one of the largest contingents to this national conference where they present their work and interact with peers from institutions across the country.
• Union Scholars and Seward Interdisciplinary Fellows : These two honors programs provide opportunities for students to do independent work with faculty as well as take extra courses.
• Internships : A number of our students regularly arrange to do research at such nearby sites such a GE's Global Research Center , the New York State Department of Health and Albany Medical College .
• Study Abroad : Through our extensive international studies program ( Union ranks in the top dozen among U.S. colleges in international study), students can study abroad in more than two dozen countries. Some of these terms abroad include research opportunities.
• Steinmetz Symposium : More then 300 students take part in this annual celebration of student scholarly work, held at the start of Parents Weekend. Students learn to communicate the results of their scholarly efforts through oral presentations, exhibits, posters, and performances. The Symposium, which extends over one and a half days, includes a dinner for student participants, their parents and their faculty advisors.

If you wish to find out about any of these opportunities in more detail, please refer to the links on the left. If you are unable to find what you are looking for or have a specific question, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Research, Mary Carroll, by email at carrolll@union.edu.