Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge

The Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) is an innovative program that enables undergraduates to take challenging courses and conduct advanced research with the guidance of top TU professors.

Its aim is to create leaders in scholarship, research and public life. Specifically, the program emphasizes undergraduate research and community involvement.

Undergraduate Research

The centerpiece of the program is research, or scholarship. The goals of such research may be to deliver papers at academic conferences, to produce publishable articles, or to initiate meaningful community projects. In disciplines in which publications are not the standard of scholarship, other criteria may be used (e.g., a musical composition, an art exhibit).

Each TURC student has a faculty mentor who will help the student along paths of mutual interest and will monitor his or her progress. The TURC program recognizes the academic disciplines are variable in the ways scholars conduct research and in the amount of background study necessary to be effective in this endeavor. As a result, the kind and amount of preparation necessary will vary by discipline and by individual student and project.

TURC participants receive the training and mentoring needed to contend for nationally competitive scholarships such as the Goldwater, Marshall, Truman, and Rhodes and the National Science Foundation graduate fellowships. Competing for scholarships is neither the program's primary goal nor fitting for every TURC student. But given the program's inherent components, applying for nationally competitive scholarships has been a natural progression for many TURC students.

Community Involvement

A fundamental precept of the TURC Program is that all TURC students have an obligation to give something back to the community. Every student in this program should contribute to the community in some way, whether that be in tutoring younger students, helping in a community service organization, or getting involved in some other capacity.

Students participate in service projects of their choosing. They can arrange this with their faculty mentors, independently, or through the Dean of Community Service. Students who would like to volunteer as a group with other TURC students make arrangements through the Associate Director of TURC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Describe the program's specifics.

TURC manifests itself in various forms throughout the university as faculty mentors adapt the program to fit their disciplines. Thus, TURC generates many diverse "programs" within the colleges. The common threads are advanced research, challenging coursework, and community service.

Who determines my research project?

Ideally the student's research is "mentor-driven." That is, students follow the lead of their advisors when undertaking research projects. Occasionally TURC students drive their own research projects with assistance from faculty mentors.

What are the requirements of joining TURC?

TURC is comprised of exceptional students who desire to conduct significant scholarly research. The primary requirement is obtaining the commitment of a faculty mentor.

How do I find a faculty mentor?

Express your interest to TURC Associate Director Nona Charleston. Regrettably, the program cannot always accommodate even highly qualified students due to the substantial time commitment required of faculty.

What about summer funding?

Specifics differ between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, but in general TURC will provide funding for at least one summer for students who wish to conduct work on TURC related projects. In order to receive funding for summer research, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.