UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012 - (Page 45)

more readily because of the University’s reputation as a cultivator of young talent. Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, professor and dean of undergraduate education, said the kind of undergraduate research opportunities offered at the University can be a defining experience in a student’s academic career. “It allows them the opportunity to explore new ideas and concepts while learning how to test them,” she said. “We have students who after participating in undergraduate research decide to pursue advanced degrees in a discipline. Undergraduate research at UT Dallas provides opportunities that only graduate students have at many other universities.” Many of these promising undergraduate researchers also are rewarded with fellowships and nationally and internationally competitive scholarships. The Green Fellowship program for undergrads nearly doubled last year to 17 students who dedicated a full semester to doing individual research in labs at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. And since 2005, five UT Dallas students have received nationally competitive Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships. Designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering, the Goldwater is the premier undergraduate honor of its type. It’s also a good harbinger of future success: More than 75 recent Goldwater scholars have gone on to win Rhodes Scholarships for postgraduate study. Austin Swafford, a 2010 UT Dallas graduate and McDermott Scholar, was a recipient of a 2008 Goldwater Scholarship. Swafford leveraged his research experience at UT Dallas and is now continuing his studies at Cambridge University as a member of the National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program where he is developing highly sensitive diagnostic procedures and therapeutic strategies to fight diabetes. Dr. Walter Voit, another UT Dallas grad, completed his graduate work at Georgia Tech and was recruited back to the University as an assistant professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “I began research starting my junior year in Dr. Hal Sudborough’s lab. I did work, attended his weekly lab meetings and felt at home in that research environment,” Voit said. “It was a lot of work and involved lots of problem solving, and it really prepared me for graduate school. “All of my experiences in the lab—delegating responsibilities, building protocols and writing—have helped me create a sustainable environment for research,” Voit said. Voit said the entirety of his experience, first as a student researcher, then as a graduate student, prepared him for his eventual career as a professor. Like George Jeffrey, Ray Baughman and Sudborough before him, Voit is teaching through research. Since returning to UTD, two of his own undergraduate students from Georgia Tech have begun working on their doctoral degrees in his lab. At UT Dallas, research is teaching. SHOW YOUR PRIDE Shop the University Bookstore! Located in the new Visitor Center, shop us for the best selection of Comet apparel and gifts. utd.bkstr.com 1163BBS082311A http://utd.bkstr.com http://utd.bkstr.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012

UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012
Contents
On Campus
From the Lab
Arts and Culture
Courtside Success
Athletics
Research Is Teaching
Town and Gown
In Your Footsteps: An Alumni Perspective
Alumni Notes
In Memoriam
Hindsight

UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012