Governors State launching Research Associate Development Program

Governors State University’s (GovState) College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), under the leadership of Drs. Alli Cipra and Matthew Cooney, is starting the Research Associate Development (RAD) Program to engage the College's undergraduate students in more research opportunities.

RAD meets a need highly requested by CEHD faculty, which is to get students involved in research activities to advance their own studies and to prepare for application to, and success in, graduate school.

Funded by the CEHD Dean’s Office, the RAD program will support participating students in learning about research under the supervision of a faculty member, provide a small stipend after completion of the program, and provide funds through the Dean of Students Office to present research outside of GovState, if needed.

“I think the most important part of this project is that it really highlights the mission of GovState - Governors State University is committed to offering an exceptional and accessible education that prepares students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed in a global society,” said Dr. Cooney.

“Also, given the current political climate, it is important that students gain undergraduate research experience to be able to critically conduct and analyze research studies to formulate their own opinion,” Cooney added.

The program will run October 2023 thru April 2024, with monthly sessions for the students on topics such as “Preparing for Graduate School,” “Best Practices in Research Presentations,” and “Career Preparation.” Through RAD, students will be paired with faculty based primarily on interest. Faculty can structure their research mentorship as they see fit, though each student must have a poster to present at GovState’s Research Day in April.

“Even for students who don’t plan on being researchers, understanding research is an important part of higher education and of being a good consumer of information. I am pleased we can support this faculty-driven initiative." Dr. Shannon Dermer, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development.

Students interested in participating will need to submit an application and then they will receive information about current research on campus, as well as the faculty members participating in the RAD program.

For more information, contact Penny Perdue (pperdue@govst.edu), Alli Cipra (acipra@govst.edu), or Matthew Cooney (mcooney@govst.edu).