The mission of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) is “liberal arts education across the disciplines” with a unique and ever-increasing focus on experiential learning, of which undergraduate research is the hallmark. As such, UWEC became the UW System’s designated Center of Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration in 1989. Initially, the undergraduate resea
rch “culture” was cultivated by students and faculty in the Chemistry department, but has since spread across the entire campus. At this point, UWEC Chemistry has an established record of quality undergraduate instruction that begins with well-developed courses taught entirely by Ph.D. faculty and builds on this solid foundation by involving students in collaborative research projects. These activities are an inseparable part of teaching at UWEC, because they effectively integrate formal course work with the more open-ended problem solving activities of practicing chemists. Moreover, as external support from NSF and other agencies has been integral to the overall success of the department and has given UWEC students access to cutting edge research, continued support will bolster the program even further, and is essential to maximize the impacts of previous grants.
