Job Description

Research gives students hands-on experience in their field, helping them explore future career material, build strong resumes, and gain new insights into their major.

Here are five research opportunities for undergraduate students at Carthage College:

1. Research that’s embedded into the curriculum

At Carthage, many students conduct research right in the classroom. This gives students a hands-on approach to their coursework and creates an engaging atmosphere that encourages them to explore real-world questions and connect deeply with their subject matter. Each undergraduate student must also complete a senior thesis project related to their majors during their senior year. They apply all that they learned throughout their college career to their chosen topic.

“Law and Economics has been my favorite class at Carthage so far. We spent the whole semester doing research and writing up a legal memo on real issues that need to be addressed now, and we did so in a very interesting and fun way. I got to learn about a lot of very interesting and pressing issues, and taking this class really opened my eyes to a lot of different subjects I hadn’t really thought about before.” — Colin Graham ’26economics major

2. Summer research experiences

Summer break gives students more time to build their skills and focus on their future careers. The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program at Carthage gives students the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor throughout the summer on a research project. During this time, students are given wages, a research fund, room and board, and a chance to present their final researchproject at the Celebration of Scholars, Carthage’s annual academic showcase.

“I was involved with the SURE program here at Carthage. My project aimed to track the lake-ice phenology in the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (NZA) in the Russian high Arctic. By the end of our research, we hoped to find some patterns in the ice melt trends that have been speeding up due to climate change.” — Josh Maraldo ’26, geoscience major

3. Program-based research

One of the most accessible ways for students to get involved in research is by exploring opportunities within academic programs on campus. Many departments offer ongoing research projects and are actively seeking student collaborators. Carthage’s Space Science Program partners with NASA and commercial partners to develop payload experiments. The research program recruits students from the physics and computer science majors, but any student at any level can join! Students design, build, and fly the experiments on commercial parabolic and suborbital flights. The program works to have its research straddle the boundary between physics and engineering and support investigations into the properties of fluids in the microgravity environment of space.

“One reason I was really attracted to Carthage was the amazing STEM program they have and the close relationship with NASA. I am a physics major with a concentration in astrophysics, so their relationship with NASA and other companies who are STEM and physics centered assured me that I would have many awesome opportunities all four years that would prepare me for when I graduate.” — Skylar Farr ’26, physics major

4. Study abroad

Studying abroad in college is a way for students to gain vital experiences and skills beyond the classroom. Applying what they’ve learned to the outside world gives students new perspectives that shows impressive understanding and experience to future employers. J-Term at Carthage is a unique month-long program of study in which students can travel to a different country to complete research opportunities. This is an excellent and unique way for students to apply their tactical research skills to the broader world, but it also opens up students to diverse cultures and lets them develop new skills from a foreign setting.

“During my J-Term trip to Honduras, we provided medical, dental, lice treatments, and medication to the people in the community. This trip opened my eyes and made me so grateful for everything I have. The people in Honduras were so happy and thankful that we were there and did not stop expressing their gratitude for us and what we were doing for them. This experience showed me that this is what I want to do; I want to help people and care for them to the best of my ability.” — Anissa Acevedo ’26, nursing major

5. Partner with faculty

Bonding with the faculty in college is another way students can learn about research opportunities. Most professors are established experts in their field, often leading published research projects within a student’s area of study. Faculty at Carthage can participate in the Faculty Innovation Grant Program to work on research projects to better the community. This is an excellent opportunity for students because many faculty hire student workers to help with their projects. It’s a valuable way to gain resume-boosting experience, work closely with professionals, and explore new ideas in a practical setting.

“Being able to study and conduct research with our director of instrumental activities has been amazing. He comes with so much knowledge, and I get to learn so much about the different techniques he has learned. I truly feel like I am being taught information that will be useful beyond my time here. Taking classes with him offers a different set of knowledge, and I don’t know where else I could get it. He truly cares about each of his students and gets to know them all.” — Madison Bazylewicz ’26, music education and music major

Job Tags

Similar Jobs