ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan has been in the forefront of a movement to engage undergraduates in cutting edge research as soon as they arrive on campus.

What was previously open only to graduate students or a handful of senior undergraduates has become an important part of undergraduate education at the nation’s research universities.

U-M’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program provides students hands-on experience with faculty in all academic fields and disciplines. Begun in 1989 with 14 student/faculty partnerships, the program has more than 1,000 students and 500 faculty researchers collaborate in the discovery process, said UROP director Sandra Gregerman.

“The demand for participation in UROP continues to grow each year,” she said.

The next generation of researchers and scholars will present their findings April 16 at the Michigan League.

Student Faith White has helped Julie Lumeng, an assistant research scientist in the Center for Human Growth & Development, with research about how much children ages 4 to 14 know about the importance of healthy eating. The project looks at the impact on obesity.

“This UROP experience will stay with me for a lifetime,” said White, a third-year biology major.

The eight-month process begins in September when students chose from more than 600 projects. Participating in UROP is equivalent to taking a three- or four-hour course or having a 10- to 12-hour per week job.

Tim McKay, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics and Astronomy, mentors 10 students in his research that examines galaxy clusters. Each student examines different clusters and tests whether they contain large amounts of “dark matter”?the invisible material which dominates the mass of the universe.

“Doing scientific research it not like studying science in a classroom,” he said “It is very creative, requiring scientists to think of new questions and devise new ways to solve them. It takes time and practice ? but the thrill of discovering something no one has known before, and being able to prove it, makes it all worthwhile.”

Lumeng said she feels proud seeing her former UROP students attend graduate school or seek employment. “I get more pleasure in seeing them succeed than having my own success,” she said.

UROP’s spring symposium, which is free and open to the public, begins at 3 p.m. with oral presentations and 4 p.m. with poster sessions.

UROPWatch slideshow