Auburn’s faculty showcase provides new opportunities for undergraduate research

Undergraduate research at Auburn University is proving to be a transformative experience for students, who report improvements in communication skills, clearer career ambitions, greater perseverance and increased competitiveness — all ultimately leading to stronger scholarship.

New opportunities for undergraduates looking to become involved in research efforts will be the focus of the 2025 Undergraduate Research Faculty Showcase, scheduled for Oct. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center. Open to all interested students, the showcase is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and held every fall semester. 

Lorenzo Cremaschi, the Henry Burt Jr. Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of undergraduate research, said the goal of the showcase is to increase participation in research among all students, as well as to attract potential faculty mentors for them. During the event, faculty members summarize their research, meet with interested students and discuss potential opportunities for undergraduate collaboration. 

“This year, we are excited to introduce some new elements,” Cremaschi said. “In addition to faculty-student one-on-one dialogues, we will host two panels.

“A faculty mentors panel will discuss best practices in mentoring students with their undergraduate research, while a student undergraduate research fellows panel will share their experience with undergraduate research and be there to answer any questions students might have. We are continually looking for innovative ways to increase undergraduate research at Auburn even more.".

The impact of undergraduate research is evident, according to Cremaschi.

"A higher employment and graduate education success rate and a greater overall success rate are only a few of the traits that characterize the impact of undergraduate research on Auburn students," he said. “Notably, students who engage in research during their undergraduate studies are more likely to pursue additional education after graduation.

"The majority of our students who participate in undergraduate research decide to pursue graduate studies in Alabama. That has a tremendous impact on our state.”

In many ways, undergraduate research has been one of the university’s best-kept secrets, as it is usually overshadowed by the tremendous amount of graduate-level research that takes place to help make Auburn an R1-research university.

But, on average, 21% of undergraduates also participate in research. This year’s showcase will attempt to increase that level even more.