Course Syllabus

CHEM 2915 Undergraduate Research

Course Description

This course provides an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and techniques learned in classroom settings to actual research experience. No more than six students will assist one faculty member in that person's research. Students will receive faculty direction for at least one hour a week and lab research participation will usually range from two to four hours weekly. A short summary will be required to be presented to a small, in-lab seminar of interested students and faculty at end of semester.

Justification

Actual hands-on experience in lab and field research gives an advantage to students continuing on to transfer institutions such as Utah State University, Brigham Young University, University of Utah, etc. Majors in Chemistry would be beginning undergraduate research in their second year as 4-year institutions. A number of professional programs require such research as a prerequisite for admission. This course is repeatable and will be under the direction of individual faculty members engaged in research. Participation in undergraduate research has been shown to be effective in increasing student problem solving skills and improving student retention (Hensel and Cejda, 2015).

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Undergraduate research students will develop good research habits, particularly in making observations, note-taking and data-recording, and data analysis along with integrity of process.
2. Undergraduate research students will practice and perfect techniques specific to a given research project.
   
   
   
3. Undergraduate research students will be encouraged to draw connections to research in professional publications.
4. Undergraduate research students will prepare a short summary to be presented to a small, in-lab seminar of interested students and faculty.

Course Content

Content will be specific to the particular research topic addressed. Some examples of previous undergraduate research include lecture demonstration development, air quality monitoring, overtone spectroscopy of alcohols, functional group analysis of aerosol particles, solubility of molten salt reactor by-product metals in molten salt mixtures, investigation of synthesis of square planar nickel and iron complex ions, etc.