Stories Featuring CITE-Funded Programs

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  FieldGeo Program Invites Undergraduates To See Rock Formations The Way Geologists Do

  Undergraduates in geology are getting hands-on with a $1 million NSF grant for FieldGeo. Led by Prof. Peter Copeland at UH, students explore rock formations in field trips funded until 2027. The program, born from GeoSociety, includes teachHOUSTON and Wharton County Junior College collaboration. Inclusive and fully funded, it sparks passion for geoscience and trains future teachers, contributing to STEM education. 
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  Two-Time exCITE Talks Finalist Profiled

  Mielad Ziaee, despite his young age, has already been selected for prestigious programs like the NIH's All of Us Research Scholar Program, and has conducted impactful research at institutions like Johns Hopkins University. His passion for improving healthcare access drives his success, as he seizes every opportunity to make a difference. Ziaee's story serves as an inspiration for aspiring scholars everywhere.
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  Recent Graduate Develops 3D Printable Prostheses To Restore Amputees’ Finger Mobility

  Recent graduate David Edquilang’s groundbreaking, easy-to-use 3D printable finger prosthesis could offer amputees a low-cost solution to restore finger functionality. Edquilang’s UH mentor, Associate Professor Jeff Feng, received a CITE grant to support student work in Adaptive Design Experimentation. 
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  Unveiling Career Insights: UH Students Shine at exCITE Talks

  University of Houston students shine at the fifth annual exCITE Talks competition, showcasing their experiential learning experiences in impactful presentations. Topics include work-life balance, community engagement, and mental health awareness, reflecting a strong focus on personal growth. The article highlights the university's dedication to experiential learning and its positive influence on students' career readiness.
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  NSM Students Dominate 2023 exCITE Talks Final Round

  Five NSM undergraduates shone at the 2023 UH exCITE Talks competition, with three winners. Rosemarie Le conducted neuroscience research in Switzerland, Arushi Dheer combined art and medicine, and Paul Daniel researched cancer treatments. Danielle Henry focused on pediatric oncology, and Annan Khan studied environmental science at NASA. These experiences greatly impacted their development.
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  World Cultures & Literatures Interns Leave Positive Mark on Houston

  The University of Houston's World Cultures and Literatures program organized impactful summer internships for undergraduate students at Houston's cultural institutions. Through hands-on experiences, students contributed to various projects and gained valuable skills, leaving a positive mark on the city's arts and culture scene. CITE funding supports the academic year World Cultures and Languages Internship program.
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  FrameWorks Student Researches Black Diasporic Literature

  Kalena Holeman, who participated in the CITE-funded FrameWorks undergraduate research program, is gaining prominence for her dynamic research at the crossroads of Black literature, culture, and gender. From comparing classics to curating digital exhibits, her work captivates. Bolstered by grants, Holeman exemplifies unwavering commitment. Engaging in diverse research programs, she's becoming a standout scholar, leaving her mark on literary and cultural studies.
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  Houston Nonprofits Gain Valuable Resources Thanks to Work of UH Students

  University of Houston Students Aid Houston Nonprofits as Consultants During Summer Internship. The Social Economy and Enterprise Academy course pairs students with local nonprofits to offer valuable resources and expertise. Projects this year focus on increasing homeownership accessibility and making policy recommendations. The initiative benefits nonprofits and fosters practical experience for students pursuing public policy and economics studies.
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  UH Students Examine Climate, Environmental Changes Through Experiments in Alaska

  University of Houston Students Conduct Field Experiments in Alaska to Study Climate and Environmental Changes. The NASA-inspired Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) allows students to design and launch instruments, measuring atmospheric data, gaseous compounds, microplastics, auroras, and ice wedges. 
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  Blaffer Art and Design Among the Gems at Blaffer Art Museum

  Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Blaffer Art Museum on the University of Houston campus offers a unique experience of discovering and amplifying local, national, and international artists. With rotating exhibitions, a student-created art and design store, and a commitment to accessibility, this hidden gem invites visitors to explore a vibrant artistic hub.
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  exCITE Talks Finalist to Serve as UH System Student Regent

  University of Houston student Mielad Ziaee has been appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott as the student regent on the UH System Board of Regents. Serving until May 31, 2024, Ziaee will represent students across all four UH System universities. As a student regent, Ziaee will contribute a fresh perspective and advocate for student interests while collaborating with the board to shape the future of the University of Houston System.
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  Cloudathon@UH Continues To Grow With 2023 Edition

  More than 150 dedicated students from five Texas universities gathered at the University of Houston for cloudathon@UH, an annual competition showcasing cloud-based skills. Students collaborated to solve computing and networking problems while vying for prizes, scholarships, and industry recognition.
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  Women Empowerment Booster Celebrates Successful Semester

  Women Empowerment Booster brings college-aged women majoring in computer science together with middle-school girls to learn about coding through digital storytelling. Led by Nouhad Rizk (Computer Science), the project aims to build girls’ and women’s self-efficacy in and identification with computer science.
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  BAD opens at Blaffer Art Museum

  Blaffer Art and Design received a CITE grant to seed the relaunch of the experiential learning program. Students develop the product from start to finish and present their respective designs and budgets to a selection panel. This exercise allows students to experience a real-world scenario as if they were pitching to a client.
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  University of Houston Design Students Exhibit and Sell Their Products at the Blaffer Art Museum

  The University of Houston's Blaffer Art Museum has launched a new platform called Blaffer Art and Design, which provides graphic and industrial design students with the opportunity to create limited-edition art and design objects that can be exhibited and sold in a boutique-exhibition style setting.
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  CITE-funded Enhance, Engage, Empower Teams with Houston Dynamo and Dash

  Students assist physical education teachers with delivering the Soccer Starts at Home curriculum. Joyce Ogunrinde leads this CITE-funded service learning project.
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  CITE Biology Undergraduate Research Scholarship student Gabrielle Kostecki among 2023 Goldwater Scholars

  Goldwater Scholar Gabrielle Kostecki participated in Biology Undergraduate Research Scholarship, a CITE-funded project led by Tony Frankino.
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  JobCITE is a valuable resource for students at the University of Houston

  JobCITE is a valuable resource for student employees and their supervisors to reimagine employment as experiential learning. It allows students to gain experiential learning opportunities that will help them develop the skills employers desire and gain valuable experience in their chosen careers.
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  exCITE Talks 2022 Finalist Mielad Ziaee Featured in Rodeo Scholar Round-Up

  Meet a handful of Coogs who have been provided with unique opportunities to get involved in their community as “Rodeo Scholars.”
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  'STEM Zone Saturday' gives kids a taste of real-world science at University of Houston

  About 150 children gathered at the university’s main campus to get a taste of the energy industry with a mix of lectures and activities led by UH professors and local professionals. These monthly events are organized by the UH STEM Squad with support from a CITE grant.
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  University of Houston Strives To Engage Students In Civil Discourse

  Led by Associate Professor of Political Science Ryan Kennedy, Deliberation Testbed uses an online platform to encourage civil discourse. Student moderators gain real-world experience with ethical decision making and effective communication.
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  UH Project 'Deliberation Testbed' Focused on Facilitating Civil Communications in Turbulent Political Landscape

  University of Houston students are facilitating productive political conversations as part of a high impact Cougar Initiative to Engage project and moderating online discussions on hot topics using the platform Common Ground for Action.
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  UH Power Soccer Tournament Offers Players With Muscular Issues a Playing Field

  Michael Cottingham's CITE grant project in Adaptive Athletics was featured in Houston Chronicle.
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  UH Hosting Power Wheelchair Soccer Tournament

  Para-athletes from Texas and Mexico will descend on the University of Houston this weekend for an international power wheelchair soccer tournament organized by UH students.
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  Five NSM Undergraduate Students Compete in Final Round of exCITE Talks

  The 2022 University of Houston exCITE Talks final round consisted of 10 undergraduate students, among which five of the finalists were College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics students, and two took home Amazon gift cards as prizes.
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  Students Summarize Experiential Learning Initiatives During exCITE Talks

  Thirty undergraduates competed in the 4th annual exCITE Talks competition. Adrian Gonzalez took home the top prize with his talk on founding Math Confidence Through Cubing Club (MC³).
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  UH Students Documenting U.S. Latino Experience Through Research, Archival Initiative

  Students assist the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Program through Research for Aspiring Coogs in the Humanities (REACH), a partnership between CITE and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards.
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  CITE Advisory Board Member Maggie Mahoney Wins McElhinney Award

  CITE Advisory Board Member Maggie Mahoney was honored with the C.F. McElhinney Distinguished Service Award, the university's highest honor for staff. Mahoney guided Learning Abroad through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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  Eight UH Graduates First to Earn Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement Designation

  CITE congratulates the first recipients of Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement. This new graduation distinction recognizes Coogs who commit to combing real-world engagement with classroom learning.
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  Intercollegiate Sports and the Disabled Athlete

  Michael Cottingham's CITE grant project in Adaptive Athletics was featured in Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
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  Undergraduate Student Instrument Project

  The Undergraduate Student Instrument Project, led by Professor of physics, Dr. Edgar Bering, provided students the opportunity to travel to Alaska to conduct ground observations and launch their own balloon-borne experiment.

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  The Sephardic Latinx Oral History Project

  Students in the HIST 2349 Latina/o Jewish history course, the first and only history course of its kind in the U.S., participated in a oral history project by conducting interviews with historical subjects. These interviews were showcased in a exhibit held at the Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH).

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  Hidden Life of Houston: Uncovering Urban Wildlife Activity

  UH students collect data on urban wildlife in Houston for class credit through the Hidden Life of Houston project. Trail cameras at 25 sites capture animal photos posted on the Urban Wildlife Information Network database. The project aims to spark interest in ecology and conservation, resulting in student internships with the Memorial Park Conservancy.
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  Refugees Connect with UH’s Arab Community through the IRESE Fellowship

  The new Incubator of Racial Equity in STEM Education fellowship led by the UH College of Pharmacy is hoping to empower and inspire recent Arab refugee high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through working with undergraduate mentors and tutors.
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  CITE Analyst Publishes Study on Student Engagement

  Tom Teets and Fan Wu find student motivation and self-regulation decreased.
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  Academic Preparation Showcased in Cougar Health Research Academy

  In a recent graduation ceremony, participants and organizers of the Cougar Health Research Academy celebrated the success of the inaugural four-week program aimed at exposing University of Houston undergraduate students to the diverse and rewarding field of public health. 
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  A New Undergraduate Research Program

  The Research for Aspiring Coogs in the Humanities (REACH) program gives undergraduate students first-hand research experience. Projects range the gamut, from community activism to archival preservation to drafting biographies and conducting oral histories.    
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  Action Research in Communities Program to Double its Impact in 2021

  College students were awarded Action Research in Communities (ARC) fellowships for 2020-2021 and given the opportunity to develop projects fostered by community service or involvement in service-learning initiatives. 
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  Harris Fellows Pen Blogs

  Harris Fellows pen blogs for the Chronicle about their work with various Harris County government offices.
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  Nouhad Rizk Receives Teaching Excellence Award for Community Engagement

  Dr. Nouhad Rizk, instructional professor of computer science, receives the 2021 UH Teaching Excellence Award for Community Engagement!
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  Cougar Academy Research

  UH College of Pharmacy's Institute of Community Health and the Houston Health Department are teaming on a new online program to train UH undergraduate students in a range of specialty skills in the public health field. 
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  A Digital Dream Team

  Faculty, staff, and students worked in shared spaces with dozens of Academic Support, Instructional and Teaching Assistants sharing responsibilities to our students and our college making sure that Bauer is ... Where Awesome Happens! 
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  Action Research in Communities Program Launches

  This year-long research program requires students to spend at least six to seven hours per week researching the phenomena, successes and challenges in Greater Houston and preparing to apply that new knowledge to the communities they serve. 
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  Russian and Eastern European Initiative

  As part of the Russian and Eastern European initiative, students conducted oral history interviews with Czech immigrants to the Houston area.
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  UH students help Third Ward entrepreneurs

  University of Houston business professor Saleha Khumawala founded Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship, or SURE, where students working for a grade serve as consultants to four entrepreneurs who have a concrete business idea, a demonstrated commitment and are either from or willing to serve a community in need of investment. 
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  Students Get Hands-On Experience in Houston City Government

  Five students in the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) got the chance to work alongside some of the city’s decision-makers. This was made possible through a new partnership between Dean Antonio D. Tillis and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a graduate of CLASS. 
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  Cougar Partnership Flourishing at the Smithsonian

  Ten students from the University of Houston arrived to begin their internships across the Smithsonian Institution. This partnership between the Smithsonian and the University of Houston began in 2015. 
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  UH Students Provide Vision Screenings at HISD Schools

  Since 2018, Sight for Success has provided vision screening at HISD schools. Hearing screening was added in 2021. Sight for Success is part of the Health and Well-Being Initiative, which connects UH students to area schools to promote physical, mental and social health and well-being. 
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  UH Implements New Quality Enhancement Program

  UH’s Quality Enhancement Plan is being put in motion, to offer students more nontraditional learning opportunities. The plan is called the Cougar Initiative to Engage, or CITE, and is intended to expand access to community and co-curricular engagement activities.