Picture of NACP student Ferris Saad and Dr. Jennifer Bea observing an MRI image at Abrams Public Health Center

NACP student Ferris Saad and his mentor, Dr. Jennifer Bea, observe an MRI image at Abrams Public Health Center.

Kris Hanning

Telling Your Story

Is your research experience helping you grow academically and professionally, shaping your career goals, and providing you with financial support?  Our UBRP funders have invested over half a million dollars this summer in something very important: the undergraduate research experience ... and more specifically, in you.  These, and more, are big reasons why telling your story is important.

"Telling Your Story" activities are designed for students to gain practice in communicating about their research and sharing the personal impact of their research experiences with those who provide financial support for undergraduate research (various UA units, donors, organizations, etc.), as well as the general public.

Dr. Sanlyn Buxner, Associate Research Professor in Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, gave a presentation on "Telling Your Story" at UBRP Orientation on May 13, 2024; access the slides here.

There are two "Telling Your Story" activities for students to complete this summer:

PART 1: Padlet Post, due July 10, 2024.  By Wednesday, July 10, submit an post directly on the UBRP 2024 Padlet.  This post should include a photo and short description of your work (75 words or less), explaining your research project and its importance in layman's terms.  Please include a title in the Subject field, and your name in the Author field; you must also run your post by your mentor for approval.  UBRP supporter and the general public will be able to visit this Padlet to see an overview of Summer 2024 UBRP participants and their research;  we may also repost students' Padlet posts on UBRP's social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter) and/or the UBRP website (ubrp.arizona.edu). 

If you would like to view last year's Padlet as an example, click here.

Picture of EHS-TRUE student Maile McSwain at the lab bench

Maile McSwain conducts research at the bench in Dr. Zelieann Craig's lab

PART 2: Letter to a UBRP Supporter, due July 31.  There are many generous people who have contributed funds to make the UBRP experience possible for students this summer, including UArizona administrators and deans, governmental and private agencies, and even private donors (see the list below)!  We want these people to learn about the impact of the UBRP experience first-hand from its participants.  Write a letter to a UBRP Supporter, including a personal introduction, a general description of your research project suitable for a layperson and approved by your mentor, and the impact of your research experience upon your life and your future goals.  Your letter should be one page maximum, use 12 point Arial or Calibri font, have 1" margins, be single spaced, and saved as a Word document.  Address the letter generally to "Dear UBRP Supporter, "and make sure to sign your letter and include your e-mail address as contact information. 

By Wednesday, July 31, save a final draft of your letter as a Word document, title the file name simply as "[your last name], [your first name].doc", and upload it to this Box folder.  As we review students' letters and distribute them to UBRP supporters throughout the year, we will personalize the salutation and let students know to whom their letters are being sent.  Be prepared; you may hear back from funders directly if they would like to learn more about you and your research!

Summer 2024 UBRP Funders

At University of Arizona:

  • Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) - Maria Johnson, Program Coordinator, RISE Internships
  • BIO5 Institute - Dr. Jennifer Barton, Director
  • College of Medicine - Dr. Michael Abecassis, Dean
  • College of Science - Dr. Carmala Garzione, Dean
  • Provost's Office - Dr. Joseph Glover, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
  • R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy - Dr. Rick Schnellmann, Dean
  • Research, Innovation, and Impact - Dr. Elliot Cheu, Interim Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation

Granting Agencies:

  • American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (ASPET SURF) - Dr. Catherine Fry, Program Officer
  • Beckman Scholars Program - Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation (Ms. Kaerie Ray, Program Officer)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (for EHS-TRUE and EHS-RISE) - Dr. Michael Humble, Program Officer
  • National Cancer Institute (for NACP) - Dr. LeeAnn Bailey, Chief, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, National Cancer Institute  and Dr. Jay Revilleza, Program Director, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, National Cancer Institute
  • National Library of Medicine (for PHIRE)

And a big thank you to UBRP's Private Donors!