Experience with Undergraduate Student Researchers on the City Block Project
Gregg Fiegel, Cal Poly, San Luis ObispoBen Mason, University of California, Berkeley
Nick Trombetta, University of California, San DiegoBob Reitherman, CUREE
QUAKE SUMMIT - NEES & PEER ANNUAL MEETINGOctober 9, 2010
Supported by the NSF under Grant No. CMMI-0830331 through NEESParticipants include the University of California, Berkeley (lead institution), University of Buffalo-SUNY, University of California, Davis, University of California, San Diego, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and the Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering. This project utilizes the NEES equipment site at the University of California, Davis. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.
Presentation Objectives Describe the project objectives and learning
outcomes for the undergraduates Describe the program used to recruit the
undergraduate research assistants Describe the strategies employed to train
and mentor the students Describe assessment strategies and discuss
select assessment results Comment on lessons learned and
recommendations for moving forward
Project Background Centrifuge modeling to investigate soil-
structure interaction in dense urban areas Four-year project with six experiments Large project team
Well Suited for Undergrads Hands-on learning experience Diverse project team “Wow factor” of the centrifuge Graduate student mentors Junior-level qualifications Timing of experiments
Learning Outcomes Conduct a centrifuge model experiment Function effectively on a multi-disciplinary
research team Prepare a well-written report or presentation
summarizing his/her experience Summarize the primary research objectives
and findings Describe the graduate school environment
and what it means to be a graduate student
Recruiting Program Varied marketing approaches Clearly defined goals Letter of interest Application Interview Graduate student input
Mentoring StrategyUndergraduate Students:
Prepare them to be successful Assign varied tasks Encourage questions Provide regular feedback Reduce distractions
Mentoring StrategyGraduate Students:
Articulate the learning outcomes Provide leadership training Provide teacher training Trust them Provide regular feedback
Undergraduate Students Background Information:
2 female, 3 male 4 civil engineering, 1 architectural engineering 2 geotechnical, 2 structural, 1 general 3 seniors, 2 juniors 3.1 to 3.9 overall grade point average Extensive work experience Varied co-curricular experiences Varied short-term career goals
Assessment Completed three successful centrifuge
experiments Inspired interest in research and
graduate school Provided opportunities for undergrads
to practice presentation skills Collected valuable feedback using
post-employment surveys
Recommendations Involve the student researchers in the
project as early as possible Survey the student researchers on their
skills prior to beginning site work Provide regular feedback (positive and
corrective) on student performance Allow a week after testing for reflection
and the completion of a capstone project Seek opportunities for undergraduates to
work together
AcknowledgmentsSponsor: National Science Foundation
Principal Investigators: Jonathan Bray (UCB), Tara Hutchinson (UCSD), Bruce Kutter (UCD), Bob Reitherman (CUREE), Andrew Whittaker (Buffalo)
The NEES City Block team: Chandrakanth Bolisetti, ZhiQiang Chen, Benjamin Choy, Stefanie Gille, Reed Helgens, Katherine Jones, Jonathan Lund, Ben Mason, Jack Montgomery, Roshani Patel, Clayton Proto, Hamilton Puangnak, Nick Trombetta, Josh Zupan
UCD CGM Staff and Students: Anatoliy Ganchenko, Chad Justice, Dan Wilson, David Dickey, Lijung Deng, Manny Hakhamaneshi, Ray Gerhard, Ross Boulanger