This article is published in the October 2024 issue.

Undergraduates and Recent Graduates Are Encouraged to Attend Fall Workshops


By Julia Sepulveda, Senior Program Associate, CRA-E

In addition to offering structured training opportunities for students, the UR2PhD program is designed to help support students in their engagement with research. To help encourage and facilitate continued engagement, the UR2PhD team is offering two workshop series this fall: the Computing Research Engagement & Awareness Series and the Graduate School Application Workshops for Computing Programs. 

The Computing Research Engagement and Awareness Series is focused on enabling students to learn more about what research is, what it can look like, and how students can get involved. Earlier this fall, the team hosted two workshops: “Computing Pathways: What Degree Is Right for Me?” and “How to Get Involved in Research?” Both workshops highlighted the diversity of pathways within computing, with the former showcasing how different degrees can open differing opportunities and the latter highlighting how opportunities are available in various settings. The next workshop in the series will be an “Ask Me Anything,” where participants will be able to ask questions to other undergraduate researchers as well as the facilitators of the series. Undergraduates are invited to join the AMA on Monday, October 21 at 6:00 pm ET

In addition to keeping students involved in research, the UR2PhD team strives to make it easier for students to bridge the gap between a first research experience and graduate study. Students in their penultimate and ultimate years of undergraduate study are encouraged to participate in the Graduate School Application Workshops Series. The series was launched in September. The first workshop, “Getting Started & Making A Plan” provided a broad overview of the series and of graduate application components. The second session, “Highlighting Your Personal Experiences & Interests,” dove deeper into resumes, letters of recommendation, and application management/tracking. During both sessions, the facilitators shared resources for students to leverage during the fall, including a short checklist and an application tracker. Any student or recent graduate that is interested in exploring graduate study is encouraged to attend upcoming workshops. The next workshop “Writing a Strong Personal Statement” is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23 at 4:00 pm ET. 

Registration is required for both sessions. To register for the Engagement and Awareness workshops, visit this link. To register for the Graduate School Application Workshops visit this link. To learn more about undergraduate opportunities available through the UR2PhD program, please visit our webpage.