Prof. Bhuvana Narasimhan represented the Department of Linguistics by hosting an interest table at this year’s UROP Symposium—a critical opportunity for students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities to meet faculty and learn how to get started on research, scholarly and creative projects.Â
While the UROP Symposium is often a place for students to connect with a faculty mentor, here the goals were more focused on introducing students to faculty in an informal (though structured) environment to facilitate conversations that give students the institutional awareness and confidence to see themselves as future scholars, leaders and change-agents. In recruiting hosts from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, the aim was to provide the best opportunity for students to connect with like-minded scholars and showcase a diversity of pathways, which might not be readily apparent to undergraduates—particularly those who are first-generation students. Through dialogue with a spectrum of faculty, UROP sought to highlight interdisciplinarity as well as the institutional structures that facilitate this work.
With 40 faculty, staff and administrators hosting “interest tables” for more than 120 students in majors across the disciplinary spectrum, this year’s event was the largest and most diverse ever. In the words of Tim O’Neil, Assistant Director of Special Undergraduate Enrichment Programs here at CU: “Bhuvana’s generosity and tireless devotion opens opportunities for students to take advantage of UROP and all the benefits of transformative mentorship. I appreciate Bhuvana’s commitment and [the Linguistics Department’s] role in creating a culture that encourages this work”. Congratulations, Bhuvana!
Photos from the event and profiles of all the table hosts on the UROP website.