The integration of undergraduate research across the disciplines is part part of an Tougaloo College ’s institution’s overall vision statement and is essential to promote a culture of undergraduate research throughout all disciplines. It is very important to promote a culture of undergraduate research across the campus and across the disciplines . Typically, undergraduate research at liberal arts institutions is confined to disciplines in the natural and social sciences. This is particularly true at private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Attempts to cross disciplines into education and the humanities have been minimal and often confined to sponsored projects. Different departments and programs can share their commitment to enhancing undergraduate research through the development of a common focus. Through institutional consensus and a common focus by the interdisciplinary faculty members, it is possible to integrate education and research across an entire campus.
Present Status of Undergraduate Research in Tougaloo College
Under the visionary and dynamic leadership of President Beverly W. Hogan, Tougaloo College made a commitment to support and encourage research among its faculty and students. In the Spring semester of 2002, the president established the Tougaloo Council for Undergraduate Research (TCUR) and appointed Dr. Shaila Khan, chair and associate professor of Psychology, as its chair. The goals of TCUR are to integrate research and technology across disciplines, and to build local, regional and national research programs so that students have opportunities to engage in integrated research projects. TCUR encourages all students to participate in research projects, especially senior level students, who are encouraged to submit their senior papers for presentation at the annual TCUR symposium. In addition, the faculty is requested to provide students with hands-on, challenging research experiences in order to stimulate the students’ interests in their respective disciplines. This is done to encourage students to become self-directed in their endeavors. TCUR wants to build a research program and to develop, extend, and strengthen Tougaloo College’s commitment to undergraduate research in order to facilitate students’ interest in future professional opportunities. It is hoped that seniors will continue to discuss their research in public forums and to participate in sponsored research projects, workshops, and professional conferences.
The four goals of the TCUR are to:
1. Provide students with hands-on, challenging research experiences to stimulate interest in their respective chosen disciplines;
2. Build local, regional and national research programs so that the students have opportunities to engage in integrated research projects with Tougaloo mentors serving as facilitators who encourage students to become self–directed in their scholarly undertakings;
3. Offer research programs and activities that encourage and facilitate students’ interests in future professional opportunities; and
4. Develop, extend, and strengthen Tougaloo College’s commitment to research and highlight the critical need to address the nation’s undergraduate and graduate research shortage.
The overall focus of the TCUR is to incorporate undergraduate research at the local, regional and national levels. The outcome is in alignment with national groups, such as the National Conferences of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) that strive to assist faculty and others to understand and appreciate the goals, methods and results of diverse areas of inquiry and knowledge.
Activities of Tougaloo Council of Undergraduate Research (TCUR)
In the past five years, the Undergraduate Research Symposiums organized by TCUR chair, Dr. Shaila Khan, and TCUR co-chair, Dr. Santanu Banerjee (chair, Department of Physics) have been quite successful. Tougaloo College held its First Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at Tougaloo College on April 10-11, 2003. The participants were from the Natural Science Division, Social Science Division, Education Division and Humanities Division. There were seven papers submitted for oral presentations and ten papers for poster presentations. Participating departments included Biology, Economics, Education, English, Fine Arts, History, Music and Psychology. In 2004, t he Symposium became an annual collaboration of Tougaloo College and Mississippi College, and includes student researchers from other institutions in Mississippi. The two colleges alternate hosting the Symposium on their campuses.
The first Tougaloo College-Mississippi College Joint Undergraduate Research Symposium was held at Tougaloo College on April 15-16, 2004, under the joint leadership of Dr. Shalia Khan, Dr. Santanu Banerjee and Dr. David Magers, Faculty Forum Committee chairman of Mississippi College. Dr. Magers is a professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Mississippi College. There were 28 oral and 35 poster presentations from the Natural Science, Social Science, Education and Humanities Divisions. Tougaloo departments and programs that were represented included Biology, Chemistry, Mass Communication, Computer Science, Economics, Education, English, Journalism, Pre-Law, Psychology, and Physics. Students from both Mississippi College and Tougaloo College, by jointly participating in this educational forum, opened the door to achieve the collaborative mission of both institutions.
In 2005, the Second Annual Mississippi College–Tougaloo College Joint Undergraduate Research Symposium was held at Mississippi College on March 17-18, under the joint leadership of Dr. Magers and Dr. Khan. In addition to Mississippi College and Tougaloo College, the other institutions that were invited to participate were: Belhaven College, Millsaps College, Rust College, Alcorn State University and Jackson State University. There were 21 oral and 24 poster presentations from Tougaloo College alone at the Second Annual Joint Symposium. Participating Tougaloo departments were: Art, Biology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Education, Economics, English, and Psychology.
The Third Annual Tougaloo College–Mississippi College Joint Undergraduate Research Symposium was held at Tougaloo College on March 30- 31, 2006. The two-day symposium provided an opportunity for the undergraduate students in our regional institutions to present original research and ideas in a conference format. This symposium also provided an accessible forum for our undergraduate students, across disciplines, to showcase and promote some of the exemplary research that students conduct. In addition to the five institutions that were invited to participate in 2005, invitations were extended to two more Mississippi institutions: Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. There were 53 poster and 44 paper presentations. This event was organized to highlight research being done at nine institutions and to promote faculty and student collaborations between these institutions. For the first time, there were poster and paper competitions, and winners were given monetary rewards.
In 2007, the Fourth Annual Mississippi College-Tougaloo College Undergraduate Research Symposium was held March 22-23 at Mississippi College. Participants from Tougaloo College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, Jackson State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, Belhaven College, Millsaps College, and the University of Mississippi showcased a total of 100 presentations. Of the 72 poster presentations, Tougaloo College students displayed 28. In addition, Tougaloo College students delivered 18 of the 28 oral presentations. This year, a group of 12 first-year Honors Program students participated in the symposium, as well. Students were also awarded for their poster and oral presentations.
The Fifth Tougaloo College– Mississippi College Undergraduate Research Symposium will be held April 18, 2008 at Tougaloo College. Students from all undergraduate institutions in Mississippi are encouraged to participate. For details contact Dr. Shaila Khan at 601-977-7805 or email her at skhan@tougaloo.edu.
TC-MC Abstract Submission Form
