Schar School Undergrads Exhibit Results During Research Fair

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Ian Waite, left, and Anna Sladek pose with their poster depicting their work, with Camila Anderson, on the Local Climate Action Project.
Ian Waite, left, and Anna Sladek pose with their poster depicting their work, with Camila Anderson, on the Local Climate Action Project.
Delaney Soliday won the top prize for The Taliban Over Time: A Diachronic Case Study of Governance in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Delaney Soliday won the top prize for The Taliban Over Time: A Diachronic Case Study of Governance in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Schar School undergraduates are encouraged to pursue their own research ideas by enrolling in the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, known as URAP. The program is supported by the Undergraduate Research Community (URC), a one-credit course that provides George Mason University students with valuable access to experts and resources focused on all aspects of research and careers.

During the semester, students who volunteer for URAP work closely with Schar School professors who teach them how to conduct research, how to use sophisticated research tools, and how to present their conclusions in an oversized, single-sheet poster detailing their findings.

Not only do the students perform “research of consequence” that resonates beyond the campus, but they acquire valuable, highly marketable skills that prepare them for future careers.

Once a year, URAP and URC participants get to put the posters on easels during the annual Research Fair and explain to visitors the findings of their projects. This year’s event at Mason’s Fairfax Campus featured 15 posters, representing work by more than 40 Schar School undergraduates working with 15 faculty mentors and advisors.

Ruth Wolde-Semayat, pictured, Katherine Ly, and Lydia Sigman did a deep-dive into Congressional Caucus Data Collection.
Ruth Wolde-Semayat, pictured, Katherine Ly, and Lydia Sigman did a deep-dive into Congressional Caucus Data Collection.
Jena Musmar explains the research behind To What Extent Do US Carceral Settings Efficiently Provide the Psychiatric Needs of Inmates with Schizophrenia and How Should it be Improved?
Jena Musmar explains the research behind To What Extent Do US Carceral Settings Efficiently Provide the Psychiatric Needs of Inmates with Schizophrenia and How Should it be Improved?
Sophie Lutz, left, and Madison Moreau were part of a team depicting Mapping the Cross-Strait Military Balance.
Sophie Lutz, left, and Madison Moreau were part of a team depicting Mapping the Cross-Strait Military Balance.