Fifty-six incoming Oklahoma State University freshmen representing 32 majors from Aerospace Engineering to Elementary Education will receive an early, hands-on introduction to university-level research in the Freshman Research Scholars Program (FRS). In this unique, first-look at academic inquiry students will expand their education beyond the classroom by engaging in cutting-edge research under the guidance of some of the most innovative faculty on campus.

Supported by $1,000 scholarships courtesy of the Robberson Trust, FRS students will learn basic research ethics and methodology while working closely with their mentors and graduate assistants to design and conduct projects of their choosing. In the fall students will participate in major-related orientation courses taught by experienced faculty researchers and two college deans. As a capstone to the FRS experience, students will have the opportunity to share the results of their research at a peer-level colloquium in the spring.

By elevating their education with research, these undergraduates can distinguish themselves as leaders capable of contributing to the community in ways that coursework alone cannot. In just the past four years, five FRS students have been named Barry M. Goldwater Scholars, the most prestigious undergraduate distinction in the sciences. And upon graduation, former FRS students have been admitted to elite graduate and professional programs at the University of Cambridge and Carnegie Mellon among others.

OSU understands that students who graduate without a significant research experience have not taken full advantage of all that a comprehensive research university has to offer, so this early introduction is an important part of a broader initiative to increase undergraduate research in all fields of study—not just the laboratory sciences.

With robust, nationally-recognized undergraduate research programs, such as the Lew Wentz Research Program ($4,500 scholarships for up to 50 students annually) and the Niblack Research Scholars ($8,000 scholarships for up to 12 students annually), OSU offers many opportunities for students of all fields and classifications to continue their research beyond the first year. Over the past five years FRS students have been awarded over $200,000 in additional research funding through such programs.

Whether one intends to make a career of research or to solve a simple problem, students interested in pursuing research will always find receptive faculty to mentor them through the process regardless of funding through a formal program, making OSU a truly vibrant community for young scholars with big questions.

For more information about the Freshman Research Scholars Program and other undergraduate research opportunities at Oklahoma State University, please contact The Henry Bellmon Office of Scholar Development and Recognition at 334 Student Union, Stillwater, OK 74078, 405-744-7313, schdev@okstate.edu <mailto:schdev@okstate.edu> or visit us online at http://scholardevelopment.okstate.edu.

The students are listed below by their hometowns.

OKLAHOMA
*ALTUS
Taylor Cole Biosystems Engineering Altus

*ARDMORE
Ellie Jones Family & Child Services Ardmore

*BARTLESVILLE
Kaitlin Loyd Microbiology Bartlesville

*BIXBY
Monica Kreymer International Business Bixby

*BROKEN ARROW
Sydny Hager Electrical Engineering Broken Arrow
Micah Peters Nutritional Sciences Broken Arrow
Molly Selman Biological Science Broken Arrow
Laura Walters Elementary Education Broken Arrow
Erin Westbrook Aerospace Engineering Broken Arrow

*BROKEN BOW
Colin Jackson Microbiology Broken Bow

*CLAREMORE
Wendy Hines Nutritional Sciences Claremore

*DUNCAN
Danielle Dear Apparel Design Duncan

*EDMOND
Jessica Barber Aerospace Engineering Edmond
Laili Boozary Apparel Design Edmond
MaKenzie Norman Public Relations Edmond
Leah Underwood Physiology Edmond

*EL RENO
Sarah Ball Mechanical Engineering El Reno

*FORT GIBSON
Stephen Ogle Chemical Engineering Fort Gibson

*KINGFISHER
Kayla Coffey Public Relations Kingfisher

*MANNFORD
Joshua Cole Chemical Engineering Mannford

*MOUNDS
Evyn Larsen Biochemistry Mounds

*NORMAN
Courtney DeKalb Horticulture Norman
Brie Horton Nutritional Sciences Norman
Celeste Meyer Psychology Norman

*OKLAHOMA CITY
Joseph Brown Chemical Engineering Oklahoma City

*PERKINS
Tucker Chaney Secondary Education Perkins

*STILLWATER
Hannah Kadavy Athletic Training Stillwater
Forrest Rogers Zoology Stillwater
Peter Storm Biosystems Engineering Stillwater

*TULSA
Rachel Greer Early Childhood Education Tulsa
Margaret Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Tulsa
Stephen Long Aerospace Engineering Tulsa
Murphey Mitchell Political Science Tulsa
Cassandra Rodenbaugh Animal Science Tulsa
Breanna Willis Nutritional Sciences Tulsa
Braden Wilson Biochemistry Tulsa

*YUKON
Jonathan Overton Biosystems Engineering Yukon
Lisa Patrick Mathematics Yukon

*WOODWARD
LeAnn Yadon Entomology Woodward


CALIFORNIA
Cerritos
Hyun Jun Choi Economics

IOWA
Bettendorf
Elizabeth Hickman Biosystems Engineering

KANSAS
Mission
Samuel Aldrich Business Management
Riverton
Erin Pearson Geology
Wichita
Andrea Sanders Plant & Soil Science
Charles Welch Biosystems Engineering
Joshua Whitman Mechanical Engineering

KENTUCKY
Paris
Kaitlin Thomas Animal Science

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Ian Maloney Biomedical Sciences

NEW YORK
Penfield
Juliet Ellison Animal Science

TEXAS
Amarillo
Ryan Greenway Zoology
Bee Cave
Joshua Payne Entrepreneurship
Borger
Joshua Madden Chemical Engineering
Canyon
Justin Hesse Cell & Molecular Biology
Coppell
Connor Wilkinson Mechanical Engineering
Flint
Kaci Moore Architectural Engineering
Longview
Adam Allen Biological Sciences