It’s that time of year again when Cleveland State University undergraduate student researchers will present findings from projects funded by the Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) Program. The research is part of the McNair Scholars Program and will be showcased at the 2025 USRA Poster Session, held Thursday, Sept. 18, from noon to 3 p.m. in the Student Center Atrium.

As part of CSU’s new strategic plan, Cleveland State University United, the university is committed to serving students and encouraging them to unleash their creativity. The Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) Program exemplifies that mission and is designed to provide undergraduate students with a well-defined, summer-long research experience that involves intellectual inquiry and faculty mentoring. 

“Undergraduate research provides students with a tremendous opportunity to investigate a subject that is of interest to them and, with the help of a faculty member with deep expertise and experience, apply their skills and learn new ones,” said Ben Ward, director of research, development and ethics.

Students also receive career development support through seminars focused on research ethics, presentation skills, career planning and more.

The USRA projects enable students to work on well-defined research projects that help them develop skills beneficial to their future careers and, in many cases, spark an interest in continuing research beyond their undergraduate education.

“Scholarly research requires problem solving, organization and attention to detail, and the ability to interpret and communicate results,” said Ward. “These are skills that employers are looking for and abilities that students will utilize throughout their lives.”

Many alumni of CSU’s USRA program have gone on to study gravitational waves with international research teams, explore particle physics at the South Pole and receive NIH funding to investigate bacteriophages.

Nearly 70 posters will be on display at this year’s session, with USRA students on hand to explain their research and results. Faculty attending the poster session will vote for the best poster awards, with winners receiving cash prizes.

“At the end of a USRA project, we want a student to have enjoyed the experience, learned new skills they can apply in the future and feel a sense of accomplishment about their contribution to the body of knowledge,” said Ward. “We also want them to develop a clearer idea about whether or not they want to pursue a career in a research-intensive field.”