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Finding Research Opportunities at UC Merced

October 13, 2014

Hello Bobcats!

Have you ever wondered how you can get into a research lab at UC Merced? Are you looking for more opportunities to get involved in research? Students participating in undergraduate research have the chance to quench their thirst for discovery, provide an outlet for creativity, and satisfy their intellectual curiosity. At UC Merced, we have established a foundation of having the highest proportion of undergraduates involved in research of any UC campus. Sounds cool, right? The question now boils down to HOW? How can I get involved in research at UC Merced?

1. Find Out Who: Look into faculty research interests to see what is being discovered on our campus. This information can be found in our Faculty Directory.

2. Find Out What: Find extra information about the research that interests you to show the professor your dedication to gaining research experience.

3. Contact the Professor: Talk to the professor in person after lecture, knocking on their door during office hours, or via email. Have a tailor-made resume ready to show them, and/or to send out, this will demonstrate that you are serious, which will help them remember you.

4. Follow the rules: Different professors have different guidelines for what they require/expect to gain a spot in their lab. Make sure to listen to their advice and complete whatever work they advise.

5. Develop a relationship: Look into classes the professor teaches that you want to research with to build a relationship with them through office hours.

6. Network: Talk to TA’s ad fellow classmates about whom they work for. Use office hours to build a relationship with TAs so they can recommend you to the professor they work for.

7. Don’t give up: Be persistent with your efforts, professors' labs will open up with spots as students graduate. It may take some time before you find a professor with an open spot, but the hard work is worth it!

8. Keep your eyes open: Talk to your friends that are in Research labs and find out if there are any openings coming up soon. When graduate students are looking for undergraduate student assistants they often ask for recommendations from the other undergraduate students currently in the lab.

Remember, start as early as possible and keep in mind that research can be intensive and requires a lot of commitment. It will entail a lot of time management and progress may be slow. However, being a part of a research lab may offer you a long-term project and the opportunity to participate in senior thesis projects, publications, attend professional meetings, etc.

Best of luck!

Crystal Bakhaj , Michael Cleary Lab