September 14, 2004

Continuing its drive for instructional and research excellence, the University of Houston has created its first-ever Office of Undergraduate Research and has appointed an 11-year veteran faculty member to head the initiative.

Scott Perry, new associate dean of undergraduate research in the Honors College, works with one of his students.

Scott Perry, professor of chemistry and professor of chemical engineering, was named recently as associate dean of undergraduate research in the Honors College.

“It was a collective desire to have an office that would focus on this important area and allow us to coordinate our resources and to broaden and promote research opportunities for undergraduate students,” said Jerald W. Strickland, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Working with Ted Estess, dean of the Honors College, and Dr. Art Vailas, vice president for research, made the job of developing the office pretty easy. Then, we found the right person to lead this new effort —Scott Perry.”

Perry’s passion for and knowledge of undergraduate research on campus made him the ideal candidate, Strickland said. He added that Perry served as chairman of Research Council, which submitted a report in the spring on the status of undergraduate research on campus.

Perry will manage the new office, which is housed in Room 211 of the Honors College but will serve the entire campus. The college also will fund the operation along with the divisions of academic affairs and research.

“The Honors College is the perfect home for this endeavor since it works with all colleges and all disciplines,” Perry explained, adding Strickland, Estess and Vailas were instrumental in the development of the office.

Although the office opened on Sept. 1, Perry has been laying the groundwork since late summer, speaking with various faculty groups such as Undergraduate Council and crafting three goals for the first year.

One of Perry’s priorities is to collect and disseminate information on current undergraduate research opportunities to faculty and students. The other priority is adding new classes to introduce students to research.

“We want to give students a view of what it means to do research, how research is conducted, how reports are written,” said Perry. “We may not reach this goal in the first year, but we have started discussions with faculty.”

The third goal— launching a summer research institute — may be closest to Perry’s heart because of his own experience as a junior majoring in chemistry at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

“I became interested in research and graduate school, which ultimately led me to a career in academics, after participating in a summer research program when I was a student,” he said.

The new UH program, which is tentatively scheduled for 10 weeks next year, will provide funding for academically talented sophomores, juniors and seniors to conduct research projects in collaboration with faculty members. The program will be designed to attract and support students across all disciplines, explained Perry.

“It is my suspicion that if we expose more students to the opportunities we can only increase the chances of involving students in ongoing research at the University of Houston,” Perry said.

Ying Hu, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, couldn’t agree more.

Hu is assisting in micro strip antenna research at the Cullen College of Engineering. He also participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates, a program funded by the National Science Foundation in the engineering college and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM).

“I strongly support expanding the undergraduate research opportunities for us because not only can we gain from learning from professors and graduate students, but we also could have a clearer picture about the things we would like to pursue in the future,” Hu said.

Regarding his experience, Hu says he benefits most from the regular meetings with faculty members about the research project. “Their professional spirit, critical thinking and creative ideas have inspired me many times, and I hope that I will be as good as them one day,” he said.

Hu is not the only one excited about the undergraduate research office.

“We now have an advocate, who is an outstanding researcher and faculty member, who will help students, who will guide and mentor them,” said John Bear, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics dean.

Other faculty members applauded the selection of Perry to the position.

“The appointment of Dr. Perry as associate dean of undergraduate research in the Honors College will strengthen the role that research already plays in the education of outstanding students at the University of Houston; but, more importantly, Dr. Perry’s leadership will enable the university to reach its commitment to greatly expand the opportunities that undergraduates have in research,” Estess said.

Perry, who received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991, is the recipient of numerous honors, including a Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in 2002 given by UH and NSM’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2000.

Francine Parker
fparker@central.uh.edu