About

The Office of Undergraduate Research facilitates undergraduate participation in faculty-mentored research projects. Funding opportunities exist and the programs are flexible, allowing research study in any academic area University-wide.

Our Mission

The University of Minnesota is one of the world’s great research universities. On our campuses, at our field stations and in our communities, literally tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff create new knowledge and develop new examples of human expression each and every day. We share the enterprise of research and creative activity with other universities, institutes, laboratories, companies and individuals around the entire world. We contribute irrevocably to human culture—the store of human knowledge and expression.

Undergraduate Education

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a unit within the Office of Undergraduate Education that connects undergraduate students with research opportunities throughout the University of Minnesota. We house the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the Undergraduate Research Scholarship (URS), and hold the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. OUR also provides connections for students to numerous presentation and publication opportunities locally and nationally.

Why do research?

The University of Minnesota is one of the world’s great research universities. On our campuses, at our field stations and in our communities, thousands of students, faculty and staff create new knowledge and develop new examples of human expression each and every day.

By doing research, you will:

Gain hands-on experience	Become an expert in your field	Build skills and learn new technologies	Explore potential careers
Form mentoring relationships with faculty members	Collaborate with other members of your research group	Prepare yourself for a job or graduate study	Become a Discoverer!

The U is Driven to Discover!

We have 3,500 faculty members engaged in cutting-edge research; you can take part in this vital, exciting enterprise! Our faculty are engaged in creative and scholarly activity in the arts, humanities, business, and physical and social sciences: you can do research in any of these areas!

You will journey from a knowledge gatherer to a knowledge generator. You'll help solve the world's grand challenges: everything from poverty to cancer to climate change.

OUR Staff

Office of Undergraduate Research Central Staff

Vicky Munro, Coordinator
(contact for general research/UROP , IUROP and URS assistance)
612-625-3853
munro001@umn.edu

Heidi Fahning, OUR Graduate Assistant
(contact for URS assistance or MSROP questions)
612-625-6939
fahni021@umn.edu

Veera Vasandani, OUR Graduate Assistant
(contact for UROP assistance or MSROP questions)
612-625-6939
vasan007@umn.edu

Paul Siliciano, Director
pauls@umn.edu

College UROP Coordinators

For questions specific to your college, please contact your college UROP Coordinator listed below. These people are excellent resources for information on many things including finding a faculty mentor, writing a good proposal in your discipline, and opportunities to present your research results. For a list of specific UROP Coordinator responsibilites, click here.

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

College of Biological Sciences Rebecca Luebbert 3-104 Molecular and Cellular Biology 612-624-9717 luebbert@umn.edu	Cross-Collegiate and University College Joshua Borowicz, Director Individualized Degrees, CCE 101 Wesbrook (612) 624‑4000 borow001@tc.umn.edu
School of Dentistry Joel Rudney, Professor Diagnostic/Biological Sciences 17‑238 Moos Tower (612) 624‑7199 jrudney@umn.edu	College of Design Abimbola Asojo, Association Dean CDES Administration 488 McNeal Hall 612-624-3271 aasojo@umn.edu
College of Education and Human Development Nicole Shopbell Undergraduate Education 131 Burton Hall 612-626-1632 wileb011@umn.edu	College of Food, Agricultural & Natural Resource Sciences Trixy Tran Student Services 277 Coffey Hall (612) 624‑7254 tranx246@umn.edu
College of Liberal Arts Wendy Nicholson-Kotas, Coordinator Individualized Degree Programs 30 Johnston Hall (612) 624-8006 nicho421@umn.edu	Carlson School of Management Jessica Himmerick Carlson Undergraduate Studies 2-244 HMH (612) 625-1304 himm0026@umn.edu
School of Nursing Diane Treat-Jacobson Nursing Administration 6-145 Weaver-Densford Hall (612) 624‑7613 treat001@umn.edu	College of Pharmacy Daniel Harki, Associate Professor Medicinal Chemistry 2-139 CCRB (612) 625‑8687 daharki@umn.edu
College of Science and Engineering Jenelle Westover, Student Services 105 Lind Hall (612) 621‑1758 csestudent@umn.edu	College of Veterinary Medicine Mark Rutherford, Associate Professor Veterinary Biosciences 295 Animal Science/Vet Med 612-625-4281 ruthe003@umn.edu

University of Minnesota Crookston

Diane Christianson
Academic Affairs
307 Selvig Hall
(218) 281-8341
chri3776@crk.umn.edu

University of Minnesota Duluth

College of Liberal Arts Jason Ford, Associate Dean UMD Liberal Arts Admin. 306 Kirby Plaza 218-726-8323 jford@d.umn.edu	School of Business & Economics Angie Soderberg Internship Program Director 111P Labovitz School of Business & Economics Building, (218) 726-6118 asoderb@d.umn.edu
College of Education & Human Service Professions Scott Carlson, Associate Dean 125 Bohannon Hall (218) 726-6428 carls116@d.umn.edu	School of Fine Arts Jefferson Campbell, Associate Dean 212 Humanities Building (218) 726‑8119 jcampbel@d.umn.edu
College of Science & Engineering Brian Hinderliter, Associate Professor 233 Engineering Building (218) 726-8707 bhinderl@d.umn.edu

University of Minnesota Morris

Sylke Boyd, Assistant Professor
Physics
2315 Science
320-589-6315
sboyd@morris.umn.edu

University of Minnesota Rochester

Carolyn Privet-Chesterman, Admin. Specialist
300 University Square
R0869A
507-258-8200
cprivetc@r.umn.edu

Undergrad Research Advisory Board

The board is charged with focusing on expanding the opportunities for undergraduate research at all levels of the University. This includes but is not limited to advising the Office of Undergraduate Research and UROP, identifying new research opportunities and new faculty members willing to mentor undergraduates, enhancing the undergraduate research infrastructure, and promoting the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Chair

Robert B. McMaster, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education

Members

Derek Frank, Undergraduate Student
Connor Clemenhagen, Undergraduate Student
Lucy Dunne, Design, Housing, and Apparel
David Feinberg, Art
Jonathan Gewirtz, Psychology
Thomas Hoye, Chemistry
Paul Siliciano, Director of Undergraduate Research
Vicky Munro, UROP Coordinator, ex-officio