AC 2007-2296: BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING PROJECTS: INTEGRATING THE UNDERGRADUATE INTO THE FACULTY LABORATORY

Opportunities for undergraduate students to become involved in faculty research and design projects can vary widely by institution. We have developed a senior projects sequence that enables students to complete a yearlong faculty sponsored project that immerses the student in the laboratory. While a majority of our students express interest in volunteering and gaining experience in laboratories, they often encounter significant hurdles in reaching the goal of project completion. As undergraduates, their time is not dedicated to research work as one finds at the graduate level. Students are often fully loaded with classes and responsibilities related to undergraduate life or employment. The most important objectives for a sponsoring faculty member is to set achievable outcomes for the project, to provide a detailed schedule for completion, and to ensure that the expectations are communicated. Clear objectives will also raise the student’s commitment and thus increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. For the past seven years, we have explored variations on the faculty-sponsored project with increasingly positive results. In addition to developing clear expectations, the students are required to develop a project proposal, complete significant literature research, peer revie