The Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) at the University of Maine facilitates faculty-mentored research, scholarship, and creative activities for undergraduate students across all academic disciplines since its inception in 2008. Additionally, the CUGR office plans and organizes the UMaine Student Symposium for Research and Creative Activity (UMSS).
Available Research and Creative Projects Board
Faculty Member: Caitlin Howell Faculty Department: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Description: Over millions of years, Nature has found ways to optimize the most robust and versatile materials on the planet- living materials. Unlike non-living materials, living materials self-heal, self-regulate, and can adapt to changing environmental conditions. However, until recently living materials have been primarily used by organisms, only rarely being adapted for human uses in the ways that non-living materials are. In the Howell Lab, we are working to expand the use of living materials by developing ways to integrate living and non-living materials. In this project, you will work with our project team to design, 3D print, fabricate, grow, and analyze hybrid living-nonliving materials. The specifics of the project will be adjusted to fit the interests and strengths of the student. A minimum of 7 hours per week (on average) is required.
This is a: Paid, Workstudy and CUGR Fellowship Opportunity
How to apply: Send an updated CV and a brief introduction to yourself and your research interests to Professor Howell at caitlin.howell@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Anne Knowles Faculty Department: History
Description: I need one or two creative minds to help me (a) analyze Holocaust data and/or (b) visualize the data in maps or other graphics for a new, radical Atlas of the Holocaust. Background in the Holocaust preferred but not required.
This is a: Paid opportunity
How to apply: Send a 1-2 paragraph statement of interest and relevant background, along with their current CV, to my email anne.knowles@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Nicholas May Faculty Department: Communication Sciences & Disorders
Description: Seeking assistance from UMaine engineering students with a background in 3D modeling (SolidWorks) and printing for voice research. This particular research project will examine the effect of inferior and superior vocal fold surface angles and vertical thickness on phonation threshold pressures and flows using physical self-oscillating silicone vocal fold models. Investigation of pathological cases and other outcome measures (e.g., acoustics and kinematics) may also be investigated in future related research. Pay cannot currently be offered (although this may change if grant funding can be secured); however, authorship on conference presentations and research papers may be offered depending on the level of student involvement.
This is a: CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Contact Dr. May at nicholas.a.may@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Evan Wujcik Faculty Department: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Description: Conducting polymeric materials research alongside PhD and post-doctoral researchers. This will include polymeric syntheses, composite formulation, and wearable sensor fabrication and testing. The candidate should be able to commit to 3-9 flexible hours per week.
This is a: CUGR Fellowship opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Email a resume and short description of interests to Prof. Wujcik at Evan.Wujcik@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Evan Wujcik Faculty Department: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Description: The MEAN Lab is interested in undergraduate researchers with a minimum of 3-6 flexible hours per week to dedicate to laboratory work alongside PhD and post-doctoral researchers.
This is a: CUGR Fellowship opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Email Prof. Wujcik directly [Evan.Wujcik@maine.edu] with a current resume and interest statement.
Faculty Member: Juan Romero Faculty Department: Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Description: Support research activities in the lab and field related to PFAS in livestock and hay spoilage
This is a: Paid Position. Starting hourly rate of $16.00 per hour, which can go as high as $20 per hour as student gains experiences with our projects.
How to apply: Email juan.romero@maine.edu.
Faculty Member: Joline Blais Faculty Department: New Media
Description: Student would design and create assets for an AR (augmented reality) App based on “historical layers” of inhabitants of the “Shaker Forest” in Enfield , NH. Student would work with Prof Blais & Research Assistant Dee Clark’s research materials and Dartmouth’s DEV Studio to design visual/audio/textual assets to include in the APP. Good digital design skills needed, as well as ability to translate historical data into digital sound bites. Possible related website development.
This is a: Paid, Work-study, CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship Proposal)
How to apply: Contact prof blais via email: jblais@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Vikas Dhiman Faculty Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Description: We need students to program, maintain, upgrade and fix robots so we can try new algorithms on them. We have a lot of new algorithms that we are developing. The specific tasks include maintaining specific robots:
1. Programming and maintaining Kinova Gen3 Lite robotics arm: The arm is attached to a depth camera. We have software so that the arm can pick up objects like an apple or a roll of tape 80% of the time. We want to increase the accuracy of object grasping to 99% using better algorithms. You will work with a graduate student who is developing new algorithms to test those algorithms and old algorithms on the robotic arm.
2. Programming and maintaining Drone with a multi-spectral spectral camera: We have a drone with a multi-spectral camera attached to it. You will be trained to become an expert at flying that drone and fixing it if it falls and breaks a component or two. Also, you would create a replica of the drone so that we have a backup drone.
3. Programming and maintaining 4WD rover: We have a small rover that can navigate autonomously. You will make navigation more robust so that the robot can traverse anywhere in Barrows hall with just audio commands.
This is a: CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Send vikas.dhiman@maine.edu an email with why they are interested in this position, and their CV.
Faculty Member: Caitlin Howell Faculty Department: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Description: In this project, you will work with a team of graduate researchers looking to optimize the creation of mycelial materials- materials made using fungi- for use in building applications. Fungi have an incredible capacity to grow throughout a substrate and connect parts of it together, much as they do when they create the intricate communication networks between trees below the soil. Recent research has found that it is possible to use this property of fungi – the capacity to connect- as a means to bind together wood particles to make boards, removing the need for toxic glues. By optimizing the growth conditions needed to create these boards, we are moving away from petroleum-based products and towards all-natural, biodegradable materials.
This is a: Paid; CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship proposal)
How to apply: Contact Caitlin Howell at caitlin.howell@maine.edu with a statement of interest and an updated CV.
Faculty Member: Kamal Chawla Faculty Department: Research Methodology, College of Education and Human Development
Description: In the current study, we compare the findings from a textbook analysis in which we analyze worked examples and practice problems within high school algebra textbooks across the United States (US). This descriptive study compares students’ learning opportunities each text offers along three elements: contextual features, single/multi-step problems/examples, and perceived cognitive demands. We will use Chi-squared analyses to compare the differences. The comparative study will help us in providing distinguishing features of the presentation of these mathematics curricula and can inform future curriculum development and empirical human subjects research in Mathematics Education within the United States.
This is a: CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Contact Dr. Kamal Chawla at kamal.chawla@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Kamal Chawla Faculty Department: Research Methodology, College of Education and Human Development
Description: Besides selection bias, observational research is particularly prone to missing values in covariates. Straightforward approaches such as extracting all observations with missing values may introduce more bias in estimates of treatment effects. In the current study, we will understand the type of missing data in the datasets and how to impute the values using machine learning.
This is a: CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Contact Dr. Kamal Chawla at kamal.chawla@maine.edu
Faculty Member: Morgan Talty Faculty Department: English
Description: The project is the foundation of a Virtual Creative Writing Hub that helps readers, writers, and community come together to celebrate literature and writing.
Marketing and Content Assistant Structure: Work Hours: Part-time, 12-15 hours per week. Supervision: Reports to the Marketing and Content Manager. Training: Training on content creation, social media tools, and basic research methods.
Duties:
Marketing Responsibilities: Create and schedule social media posts to promote events and services. Monitor social media engagement and respond to comments. Draft content for newsletters, blogs, and promotional emails.
Content Responsibilities: Conduct research on literary topics and industry trends. Assist in writing, editing, and proofreading articles and educational materials. Help curate and create content for blogs, newsletters, and social media.
Learning Opportunities: Develop skills in content creation and digital marketing. Gain experience in research and audience engagement. Improve communication and organizational abilities.
This is a: Paid; Work-Study; CUGR Fellowship Opportunity (opportunity to turn experience into a CUGR Fellowship proposal); Unpaid
How to apply: Contact Morgan Talty at morgan.talty@maine.edu
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AI Tools Disclaimer: All students are required to be transparent about their use of AI tools in the drafting of material for Fellowships or the Symposium. Students are reminded that they are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of any and all content submitted for these opportunities. While AI tools are powerful and can be helpful, they can and often do return incorrect information (known as “hallucinations”) when asked to generate text.