UNA Selected for Scholars Transforming Through Research Program
Oct. 30, 2024
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama has been selected to be part of the 2024-25 Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program through the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Only 63 teams from across the United States have been selected for this competitive, application-based professional development opportunity for teams that include a campus representative and one to three undergraduate students.
Dr. Cindy Stenger, Professor of Mathematics, will serve as UNA’s representative, and she will be joined by Kate Grissom and Lydia Uptain.
“Since 2018, we have partnered with computational scientists from HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (HAIB), Michigan State University, and Corewell Health, through the NSF-funded CODE (Characterizing Our DNA Exceptions) program and other independent research projects,” said Dr. Stenger. “These collaborations have provided our undergraduates with invaluable opportunities to present and publish their research alongside experienced bioinformatics scientists, and to obtain prestigious internships and research assistantships at HAIB, UAB, UT Knoxville and MSU.”
Through this work, she went on to say, UNA has established a strong foundation of student-led research that has paved the way for significant findings that have been presented and published.
“It is not an overstatement to say that genomics research is revolutionizing healthcare. Computational biology is playing a role, and there is a place for undergraduates to contribute,” she said. There is a vast amount of open access data available from clinical submissions related to genetically linked diseases, and we are honing our ability to analyze this data, and communicate our results, with each passing day. A key ingredient to successful scientific research is effectively communicating results to a nonscientific audience, many of whom may not be aware of the global impact of genomics research and the critical role student researchers play in analyzing this data.
“That is why I am so excited to participate in the 5-month STR Advocacy Internship, our students will gain essential communication skills while being given opportunities to present their research to key audiences, regionally, but also nationally in Congressional visits in March 2025.
This internship is a perfect storm for advancing our students’ career possibilities and playing a role in impacting the future of healthcare.”
The teams represent 57 institutions from 22 states and are comprised of 65 campus representatives and 146 undergraduate researchers.
“This cohort of students and mentors represents future research, innovation, and advocacy,” said Lindsay Currie, CUR executive officer. “Their passion for discovery and dedication to expanding access to undergraduate research opportunities is truly inspiring. As we navigate a pivotal time for both higher education and civic engagement, this year’s STR cohort will be equipped to advocate for the transformative power of research at their institutions and on the national stage. We are excited to support them as they grow into leaders who will make a lasting impact in their fields and communities.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.