Transcript OSCAR Fellows - Council on Undergraduate Research

OSCAR Fellows: Ambassadors for Culture Change
Rebecca M. Jones* and Bethany M. Usher
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States, [email protected]
The Office of Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research
(OSCAR) at George Mason University elects a select group from
the undergraduate student body to represent the department.
These individuals have displayed a sincere interest in promoting
the growth of undergraduate scholarship on campus. OSCAR
Fellows have had previous experience with research or creative
activities and provide outreach to the Mason community about
student scholarship. The fellows attend outreach and recruiting
events, provide a student’s perspective on committees, and act
as a resource for new students. OSCAR fellows have served as
change agents at Mason and become valued stakeholders
toward fulfilling our mission.
Creative Outreach
OSCAR Fellows are part of our infrastructure; they help raise the profile
of our programs and encourage increased participation.
2011-2012 Fellows
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Myurajan Rubaharan
Luis Sullivan
Aaron VanAndel
Sabrina Speights
2012-2013 Fellows
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Krystal Thomas
Indonesian Women
Challenging Societal
Standards of Beauty, School
of Conflict and Resolution
“All research is, is having a
question, and wanting to
find an answer…. “You do
have to work for it … some
days you will get frustrated,
you’ll feel like you’ve hit a
wall, but being able to find a
way around those walls …
and overcome those
obstacles is so gratifying.“
Myurajan Rubaharan
Luis Sullivan
Rachel Trump
Claire Collins
Niah Grimes
Devin Porter
Mai Abdelgahi
Krystal Thomas
Myurajan Rubaharan
Neuroscience of Dendrite
Morphology, Krasnow Institute of
Advance Studies.
“Undergraduates should
consider research as it gives
exposure to tools related to
ones field of interest and
familiarizes the student to the
real world applications of the
students field. OSCAR will
also help you establish a firm
network among
undergraduate researchers
and their mentors through
research presentation events
at Mason.”
Claire Collins
Unique
Perspectives
Engaging Students
Summary
Over-expression of Thymosim beta-4, Biochemistry
“Research was a great opportunity for me to interact with a
professor and have a one-on-one relationship that was
more personal. My mentor was down to earth, helpful, and
caring towards her students and we were in constant
communication with one another throughout the project by
text messages, phone calls, and meetings. Working on this
project helped shape my career path I know that the bond I
share with my mentor won’t end here.”
Basic Responsibilities
 Attend outreach events, representing OSCAR and educating the
attending group on the opportunities and incentives OSCAR
provides Mason.
 Attend OSCAR committee meetings, providing a "student’s
perspective" on programs offered by OSCAR.
 Attend meetings of the Undergraduate Research Scholars
Program (URSP) to present their research work, share
perspectives.
 Attend UNIV 100 and other courses, explaining the process of
scholarship, and encourage attending students by elaborating on
their own scholarly experiences at Mason.
 Demonstrate continuous progress on an independent or
mentored scholarly project.
 Act as a resource for other students students, providing them
with advice on advancing and developing their scholarly activity.
Long-term Goals
 Increase the visibility of student
scholarship at Mason
 Provide more opportunities for
undergraduates to participate in
undergraduate research and
creative activities
 Develop the infrastructure to
reach the first two goals.
Broader Impacts
 Promoting and maintain networking events for URSP students,
which promotes a scholarly community at Mason, such as
community dinners where URSP students and the OSCAR
Fellows can meet potential rising scholars.
 Discovering and outlining new potential events on campus,
where OSCAR’s presence is appropriate, such as a Living
Learning Community
 Organizing and assigning roles for each independent Fellow,
such as scheduling which events each Fellow will attend.
 Inviting discipline specific mentors to speak at various events to
address what scholarship looks like in their field.
 Preparing statements on individual progress: How have you
promoted OSCAR since our last session?
Changing Mason Culture