National Webinar Features USU Undergraduate Research
The Council of Undergraduate Research hosted a national webinar Wednesday, June 8, that highlighted USU’s undergraduate research program.
The presentation, “Advancing Undergraduate Research: Marketing, Communications and Fundraising,” garnered nation-wide participation from university faculty and administrators.
The webinar was led by Joyce Kinkead, associate vice president for research and author of the book of the same title as the webinar.
“CUR often debuts institutional publications with a presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., but the participatory messages of this book led us to utilize a more inclusive format for launching it,” said Lindsay Currie, director of communications and membership for CUR.
Kinkead was joined by Anna McEntire, public relations and marketing specialist for USU’s research office. McEntire has a master’s degree in corporate communication and has produced award-winning publications that focus on research. The two provided insights on promoting undergraduate research programs.
“Colleges and universities increasingly view undergraduate research as a leading marketing tool for recruiting and retaining students,” said Kinkead. “Higher education literature confirms that students who engage in research, scholarship and creative activity receive numerous benefits. Undergraduate research is one of a few high-impact educational practices that has been widely tested and shown to be beneficial to students of many different backgrounds. Undergraduate research, in fact, has been called the ‘pedagogy of the 21st century.’”
Advancing Undergraduate Research: Marketing, Communications and Fundraising, published earlier this year by CUR, seeks to capitalize on the undergraduate research education movement and provide practical advice about strategic communications and fundraising.
“Development officers find that undergraduate activities are intrinsically interesting to donors who see first-hand results from students who have ‘gotten their hands dirty’ in applying their classroom knowledge in the lab, field, archives or studio,” said Kinkead.
The webinar was also promoted by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in its May newsletter. Kinkead’s book references CASE’s management checklist, donor bill of rights and other resources.
“CASE has been a wonderful resource in understanding communications, development, marketing and alumni relationships,” said Kinkead. “I’ve also been fortunate to work closely with Anna McEntire, who is expert and strategic in her work in marketing. The USU Research Office has some of the best publications and events, bar none.”
Webinar participants ranged from directors of undergraduate research to directors of government and foundation relations and came from institutions varying from large research universities to smaller private liberal arts colleges. They learned how to draft a marketing plan and develop strategies built on that plan to ensure that students have information about and access to undergraduate research opportunities.
“The webinar format gives an opportunity to launch this important new publication from CUR, and the presenters have practical and innovative suggestions that institutions can immediately put into practice,” said Nancy Hensel, executive director of CUR, who moderated the webinar.
Utah State University is an institutional member of the Council of Undergraduate Research. The undergraduate research program at USU was established in 1975.
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Contact: Joyce Kinkead, (435) 797-1706, Joyce.Kinkead@usu.edu
USU's Joyce Kinkead. She and Anna McEntire presented a national webinar that highlighted USU’s undergraduate research program.
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