The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is a national not-for-profit educational organization with a mission to "support and promote high quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship." In addition to their outreach activities, CUR hosts an annual undergraduate research poster session on Capitol Hill.

As a participant in the CUR Posters on the Hill Conference held in Washington DC in April, I was able to meet with staff members of our federal legislators. These meetings were of particular interest to me because I have had an extraordinary undergraduate research experience. My laboratory position with Dr. Bentley Fane has allowed me the opportunity to research the mechanisms of protein-protein interactions relating to virus assembly. I can say with assurance that this experience has been instrumental in solidifying my desire to pursue a Ph.D. and conduct biological research. With all of the issues that our legislators face, it is important to remind them of the benefits of an advanced education and the vital need for federal funding to make the undergraduate research experience possible for more students.

In addition to the meetings scheduled on Capitol Hill, I presented at the CUR poster session at the Rayburn Congressional Office Building. There were students representing universities from all across the country. I was impressed with the large number of visitors and legislators. In particular, there were many scientists from various disciplines, as well as members of organizations such as the American Chemical Society and the National Science Foundation. Since the work I had completed was partially sponsored by the National Science Foundation, it was a thrill to present my work to them. While I have presented my project several times, speaking with such esteemed scientists gave me a sense of accomplishment and a new level of confidence.

I believe undergraduate research is an essential aspect of the academic experience. Since science contributes to the well-being and quality of life, not only in the US but worldwide, the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a scientific laboratory extends the student's level of understanding and ability to work with sophisticated experimentation beyond that which is taught in the classroom. Federally and privately funded programs allow students to develop critical and logical thinking skills, while working with faculty who have the ability to inspire the next generation of scientists.

With this said, the President's American Competitive Initiative focuses on the development of programs that target students to pursue secondary degrees in mathematics, science and engineering. This initiative is designed to increase funding for research and development, strengthen education and encourage entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, much of his proposal is based the No Child Left Behind Act, stressing K-12 education. While it is important to prepare all students for college, I feel that the benefits of an undergraduate student-mentor relationship provide a necessary catalyst for students to pursue an advanced degree in the sciences.

It was an honor to go to Washington DC and discuss my concerns over the federal funding provided to programs that sponsor undergraduate research opportunities; however, I cannot help but to think that the message would be more effective if our legislators were contacted by more of us who have reaped the benefits of these experiences. According to the American Competitive Initiative, of the students who graduate with science and engineering (S&E) bachelor's degrees, the rate of students going into S&E graduate education or careers had dropped to 28 percent. I believe that programs that promote undergraduate research are essential to changing this trend. I urge each person who has benefited from any of these programs to contact our federal legislators. While in Washington, I was informed that electronic mail was an effective means of passing on our concerns as constituents and citizens. Anyone interested in taking this significant step can contact me at jcherwa@email.arizona.edu.

James Cherwa, UBRPer in Dr. Bentley Fanes's laboratory, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology