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.

UBRP's Telling Your Story activities are designed for students to do self-reflection, gain practice in communicating about their research, and to share the personal impact of their research experiences with those who support undergraduate research (various UA units, donors, organizations, etc.), as well as the general public.

There are two Telling Your Story deliverables students are to submit this summer:

ITEM 1: Padlet Post, due July 9, 2025.  By Wednesday, July 9, submit a post with a photo directly on the UBRP 2025 Padlet.  

  • The written portion of your post should include a short description of your work (50 words or less), explaining your research project and its importance in layman's terms (please limit scientific jargon).  Please include a title in the Subject field, and your name in the Author field, and run your post by your mentor for approval.
  • Your photo should be an "action photo" of you in the research lab or field; you can use your phone camera. Make sure you are wearing the proper PPE and that you have permission from your mentor to take and post your selected picture. Please include a caption.
  • Need an example? Check out last year's Padlet here.
  • UBRP supporters and the general public will be able to visit the Padlet to see an overview of summer UBRP participants and their research;  we may also repost students' Padlet posts on UBRP's social media platforms (Instagram and/or Facebook) and/or the UBRP website (ubrp.arizona.edu). 
Picture of EHS-TRUE student Maile McSwain at the lab bench

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

ITEM 2: Letter to a UBRP Supporter, due July 30.  There are many generous people who have contributed funds to make the UBRP experience possible for students this summer, including UA administrators and deans, governmental and private agencies, and private donors (see the list below)!  We want these people to hear about the impact of the UBRP experience first-hand from its participants.  

  • First, do some self-reflection: What have you learned this summer? How has this experience been impactful for you? How have you grown?  How will this experience help you for your future?  
  • 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 30, 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 2025 UBRP Funders

At University of Arizona:

  • Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) - Maria Johnson, Program Coordinator of RISE Internships and Kevin Bonine, Director of AIR Education Initiatives
  • BIO5 Institute - Dr. Jennifer Barton, Director
  • College of Medicine - Dr. Michael Abecassis, Dean
  • College of Science - Dr. Carmala Garzione, Dean
  • Provost's Office - Dr. Patricia Prelock, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
  • R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy - Dr. Rick Schnellmann, Dean  and Dr. Brian Erstad, Interim Dean
  • Office of Research and Partnerships - Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, 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 (Kaerie Ray and Esther Devanney, Program Officers)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (for 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!