PURSUE LAS is a program at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences with the goal of expanding access to transformative undergraduate research experiences. It supports both established programs and new initiatives that connect students with faculty-led discoveries.
The program helps to meet the growing demand in LAS and sustain high-impact programs which build intellectual curiosity, academic confidence, and a strong foundation for students’ future paths.
Proposals can be submitted by LAS departments, schools, units, faculty, and campus partner units. Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are also encouraged. This year, 17 projects received more than $250,000 in total.
Descriptions of the projects follow:
Fostering interdisciplinary team science: The Cancer Engineering and Biological SystemsPeer Assisted Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) Model
Erik Nelson (molecular and integrative physiology; Cancer Center at Illinois) submitted the expansion of a four-year interdisciplinary cancer research program, pairing LAS undergraduates with engineering students in shared lab teams. Students would get hands-on, mentored research experience grounded in real-world “team science.” This model builds advanced research, communication, and translational skills while preparing students for careers in biotechnology and medicine.
David H. Blackwell Summer Scholars Program
Susu Zhang (statistics) submitted an intensive summer research program that pairs undergraduates with faculty mentors while offering structured training, like mini-courses, seminars, and professional development. Students complete original research projects and present at a symposium, building strong quantitative skills and pathways to advanced study.
PURSUE Biology Research Fellows
Wendy Yang (integrative biology) submitted a year-long, paid research pathway that removes financial barriers and enables sustained undergraduate engagement in faculty-mentored biological research. Through cohort training, near-peer mentoring, and research presentations, students build core research competencies, confidence, and pathways to distinction and advanced study.
Econ Data Lab
Daniela Alonso Fontes (economics) submitted a lab that would provide hands-on, team-based research experiences in applied economic data analysis, where undergraduates work collaboratively to develop and answer original research questions using real-world datasets. Students build technical, analytical, and leadership skills while gaining experience across the full research process—from data cleaning and modeling to presenting findings—preparing them for careers and advanced study.
SourceLab/MinDoc: documenting data
John Randolph and Kalani Craig (history) submitted the enhancement of a nationally recognized digital humanities research program through developing an innovative, sustainable publishing platform — MinDoc — for student-authored work. Undergraduates gain hands-on experience in digital scholarship, data interpretation, and public-facing research, blending humanistic inquiry with data science tools.
Undergraduate research opportunities in literary publishing (Ninth Letter)
Submitted by Corey Van Landingham (creative writing), this research opportunity will engage undergraduates in hands-on editorial and publishing work through the Ninth Letter literary journal, including internships, conferences, and seminars with industry professionals. Students gain practical experience in writing, editing, digital publishing, and professional communication.
Support for Transforming Astronomy Research (STARS)
Tony Wong, Yue Shen, Leslie Looney, Katheryn Decker French, Joaquin Veira, and Bryan Dunne (astronomy), along with Jeffrey Filippini (physics), submitted the expansion of an oversubscribed undergraduate research program that provides funded research placements and mentorship in astronomy and related fields. Students gain hands-on experience with data analysis, simulation, and research collaboration, supporting degree requirements and pathways to graduate study.
Piloting a high-impact summer research onboarding experience for biology students
Ben Clegg (integrative biology) submitted an immersive summer “bootcamp” that helps incoming students build early research skills, confidence, and belonging in STEM fields. By lowering barriers at the start of students’ academic careers, the program strengthens retention and prepares students to engage in sustained undergraduate research.
Histories of the university: A scalable public history research program
Submitted by Stefan Djordjevic (history), this program will engage undergraduates in collaborative, public-facing historical research using campus archives to produce original scholarly outputs. The program combines mentorship, cohort-based learning, and publication opportunities to build research, writing, and public communication skills.
Broadening the Illinois Risk Lab through interdisciplinary undergraduate research
Jeff Trapp (climate, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences) and Frank Quan actuarial science and risk management) submitted a cohort-based research program where undergraduates investigate real-world climate and catastrophe risk using data analysis and modeling. Students gain hands-on experience across the full research lifecycle while connecting coursework to pressing environmental and societal challenges.
French Around the Corner
Submitted by Aurore Mroz (French and Italian), this initiative combines community-engaged research with language learning, allowing students to apply disciplinary knowledge in real-world cultural contexts. Through mentored projects and public-facing work, students develop research, communication, and civic engagement skills.
Linguistics Undergraduate Research Program (pilot)
Jonathan Dunn (linguistics) submitted a new pathway for undergraduates to engage in paid, mentored research beyond traditional coursework. The program emphasizes accessibility, supporting students with little or no prior research experience while developing independent research and analytical skills.
Pathways to research: A freshman research orientation course in environmental sustainability
Jonathan Tomkin (earth, society, and environment) submitted a course that introduces first-year students to research environments through lab visits, field experiences, and guided mentorship, helping them understand how to engage in research early in their academic careers. The course would reduce informational and social barriers while building a pipeline into sustained undergraduate research.
LEAD researchers: Research experience in anthropology’s LEAD Scholar Program
Submitted by Petra Jelinek (anthropology), this program builds a structured pathway connecting undergraduates to faculty-led research through an existing mentoring and professional development program. The pilot emphasizes inclusive recruitment, multiple entry points into research (faculty-, network-, and student-driven), and scaffolded mentorship to support students — especially those with limited prior experience — in developing research skills and confidence.
Medieval Studies Research Lab
Carson Koepke (English), Carol Symes (history), Gian Piero Persiani (East Asian languages and cultures), and Walker Horsfall (Germanic languages and literatures), () submitted a new interdisciplinary research framework in which undergraduates participate in faculty-led projects spanning digital humanities, archival research, and public-facing scholarship. Students develop core research skills—such as data curation, transcription, and analysis—while contributing to collaborative projects and, in some cases, producing publicly accessible outputs or publications.
PURSUE Political Science: Crafting an accessible and equitable undergraduate research experience
Avital Livny (political science) submitted a scalable model to expand access to undergraduate research through structured curricula, standardized assessment tools, and resources for faculty mentors. The program emphasizes inclusive participation—especially for first-time researchers—while ensuring consistent learning outcomes across diverse research projects by integrating multi-semester training and systematic program evaluation.
ONRAMP experience: A research “ramp” for transfer students in chemistry
Jordan Axelson (chemical sciences) submitted the development of a targeted pathway to accelerate undergraduate research access for transfer students, combining structured orientation programming with funded summer research experiences. The program addresses timing disadvantages faced by transfer students by helping them connect to research labs earlier and providing intensive summer support that builds momentum toward sustained research engagement, retention in STEM, and post-graduate success.
