{"id":24616,"date":"2026-03-25T08:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T12:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/?p=24616"},"modified":"2026-03-25T08:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T12:19:10","slug":"teaching-and-learning-tip-undergraduate-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/blog\/2026\/03\/25\/teaching-and-learning-tip-undergraduate-research\/","title":{"rendered":"The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good: A Call for an Early Start in Undergraduate Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-38px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

By\u00a0CFC Faculty Fellow\u00a0Chad Hallyburton,\u00a0Environmental Health Sciences<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I absolutely hated high school.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an undergraduate student, I spent some semesters just \u201cphoning it in.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But when I arrived at WCU as a graduate student, the creativity and independence of original research ignited my passion for learning, and I\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0looked back since. I sometimes wonder what my academic career would have looked like if\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0discovered research earlier, and that makes me want to give my students an early start with scholarship.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is important, because early involvement in\u00a0undergrad\u00a0research is a\u00a0<\/span>high-impact practice<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0improves scientific skills, critical thinking, and problem solving, and makes students more employable by fostering their time management, teamwork, and communication skills.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Undergrad\u00a0research students are better prepared for their degree work, for graduate school, for their future careers, and for life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But too few students get involved<\/span><\/b>. I see my own Undergraduate Research Student Partners grow and flourish, but often only the \u201cbest and brightest\u201d show up at my door looking for opportunities, and often only later in their undergraduate careers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”355.2px” custom_margin=”-39px|auto|-43px|auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

So, during the Fall 2025 semester I developed and evaluated a curriculum engaging first-year\u00a0seminar\u00a0students\u00a0who\u00a0conducted\u00a0an applied Public Health project. <\/span><\/p>\n

They collected and analyzed data on low flu vaccination rates among our first-year WCU students, described barriers to vaccination in this population, and worked with the Division of Student Affairs to share social media and print messaging encouraging student vaccination. They described the reach and impact of their messages and developed poster presentations with their suggestions for how WCU could more effectively support students\u2019 vaccine decision-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cfc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/87\/2026\/03\/FLU-CURE-Flyer.jpg” alt=”Poster of a WCU student in a purple shirt and backpack chasing a cartoon flu virus, with the caption \u201cDon\u2019t let the flu call the shots.\u201d” title_text=”FLU CURE Flyer” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”378.2px” custom_margin=”||-102px|||” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

After completing this\u00a0<\/span>Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0or CURE for short,\u00a0science process confidence grew in over 80% of the class, many identified as potential future scientists, and about two-thirds said they were more interested in finding future\u00a0undergrad\u00a0research opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Was this project perfect? Did it include all the elements of undergraduate research that students might experience working in an advanced research lab? Absolutely not. But it\u00a0was a first step towards showing the newest members of our WCU community that scholarship is within their reach.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of you already support undergraduate research. If you try to engage more students earlier in their careers, will your efforts be perfect? Nope. But you can\u00a0surely\u00a0do something good.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you need some inspiration, here are a few\u00a0good resources\u00a0to get you going:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n