³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ

Cohort 1

• Brown – Internship Motivation and Student Success

  College of Arts & Sciences – Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

  Dr. Elizabeth R. Brown proposes a study examining how students’ perceptions of their internship or practicum experiences influence motivation, academic performance, retention, and post-graduation outcomes. The research focuses on both prosocial and achievement-oriented aspects of internships and how these relate to students’ interest in their host organizations and long-term success. Drawing on nearly two decades of research in STEM motivation and experiential learning, the study will use surveys linked to institutional data and span multiple semesters. The findings aim to improve internship design and support ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s goals for workforce readiness and student success.

• Lane – Student Development in Research Communities

  College of Arts & Sciences – Physics Department

  Dr. W. Brian Lane explores how undergraduate research experiences shape students’ professional identity and expectations using the Communities of Practice (COP) framework. The study employs a novel drawing-based survey method to capture students’ perceptions of their research communities before and after participation. These drawings are analyzed through word clouds and network diagrams to identify patterns across demographics and imposter feelings. The research will inform best practices for faculty mentorship and contribute to institutional assessment strategies at ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ.

• Zhong – Evaluating the Total Osprey Student-Athlete Leadership Badge Program

  Silverfield College of Education & Human Services – Department of Teaching, Learning, & Curriculum

  This project, led by Dr. Shujin Zhong, evaluates the impact of the Total Osprey badge program at ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ, which aims to enhance student-athletes’ leadership and career readiness. The program includes structured modules on professional skills, community engagement, and career development, culminating in a digital badge. The research will assess student feedback, completion rates, and pre/post-program changes in employability, leadership application, and networking. Long-term outcomes such as graduation rates and employment will be tracked in future phases. The study supports ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s mission to promote holistic student development and may inform broader applications beyond athletics.

• Who is eligible for a Experiential Learning Research Faculty Fellowship?

  Fellowship recipients are tenured or tenure-earning faculty members who:

  • Demonstrate commitment to experiential learning and student success.
  • Are willing to commit some of their professional research efforts toward understanding the impacts of experiential learning on students and student success.
  • Demonstrate an ability to work with the institution on research questions of mutual interest.
  • Make a commitment to communicating with a variety of stakeholders about findings.
• What are the benefits of an Experiential Learning Research Faculty Fellowship?

  • Opportunity to complete research focused on the broad impacts experiential learning on students and student success.

  • Opportunities to present or publish experiential learning research at the state, national, or possibly international level.

  • Stipends to support your research time and efforts.

  • Member of an interdisciplinary research team.

  • If available, travel awards and professional development funds to attend and present research findings.
• What is required of Experiential Learning Research Faculty Fellowship recipients?

  • Attend monthly meetings with ELRFF recipients, Director of Experiential Learning, and Associate Vice President of Student Success to discuss research progress.

  • Design and implement research studies focused on the impacts of experiential learning on students and student success.

  • Produce a poster and present your research at Annual STARS Event for ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ Research Week.

  • Offer one public lecture sharing the results of your impact study.

  • Be available, if invited, to make a short presentation to ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ Executive Leadership on the purpose and outcome of your research study.