Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research at Montevallo is a strong component of the educational process.  All students, from freshman to seniors, are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of research projects.  Students who participate in research are given the opportunity to travel to national conferences all over the United States to present their work.  Research at Montevallo not only prepares students for the future but instills confidence in all who participate.  For example, Charles Holloway, a senior Chemistry major, thought research would be boring or mundane until he began a project on thin films in his junior year.  This research experience was a huge revelation for him.  "For me, looking at my results for the first time and knowing that my data, this newly found piece of information, could further our knowledge in an area of science is an indescribable experience".  Charles is going to pursue his Ph.D. in chemistry after he returns from a summer research program in Germany. Gina Morse has always wanted to be a high school biology teacher.  Her independent research project was on phytoremediation - uptake of arsenic in plants.  Gina is still going to be a high school biology teacher, but now she is excited about adding research to her curriculum, so all students can understand this source of knowledge.   These are just two of  many successful experiences our students enjoy through research.