By James Laird | Reporter
Baylor Undergraduate Research in Science and Technology provides an opportunity for students of all fields of study interested in scientific research. The BURST club is an organization that aims to support students at the university who are either involved or aspire to be involved in undergraduate research.
The group has about 40 members with varying degree paths and career aspirations. Hyderabad, India senior and president of BURST, Jenitha Patel, said the club offers a lot of opportunities and acts as a support system. Patel said some of these opportunities include mentorship from upperclassmen, Research and Internship Day or science shows where students can publish their research for the Baylor Center Graduate Research Journal.
Research and Internship Day is a chance BURST provides for its members where they can come and present their work and find out about internships that are both on and off campus, Dr. Dwayne Simmons, Cornelia Marschall Smith Endowed Professor and senior director of STEM Initiatives, said. Simmons serves as a faculty adviser to the BURST club.
“I’m all for research; it is the ultimate level of engaged learning,” Simmons said. “So we have all of the things that BURST does, from publishing Scientia, to the kind of public engagements that they have [and] bringing speakers on campus. All of that is really important for informing students about what research is and how it works, and that they too can do it, which is really important.”
While the BURST club’s first focus is on scientific research, it is not all they do as a group. The club is active in the community providing members opportunities for social gatherings and community service. Houston junior and BURST resources chair Ava Frescura works to ensure members have sufficient community service opportunities throughout the year.
“We really stress service in BURST, again, because a lot of our members are applying to graduate schools, and when you serve your community, you develop a lot of interpersonal skills and passion for others,” Frescura said. “These are very important mindsets to have when you’re entering the research field because the research you do will ultimately go back to help your community. Being able to interact and give back on a non-science level also helps you able to see your community through the lens of science.”
BURST is accomplishing a lot, from the educational opportunities to the community building, and Patel said that her vision for the future includes growing the group and seeing former members who are now in the research field return.
“I’d really like for members to stay behind and give back to the organization as they eventually join a lab and they become more involved in research,” Patel said. “Maybe they could come back and speak on research panels or offer that mentorship back to undergraduates. I also want to see a lot more people involved in the things that we offer.”
Currently pre-med is the dominant field of study in the club and Frescura said her plans for the future include branching out to get more researchers in the computer science, engineering and physics fields.
“We are just an undergraduate research organization, we’re not just for biology and chemistry. So we would like to have other research opportunities as well,” Frescura said.
Students interested in connecting with Baylor Undergraduate Research in Science and Technology can find them on Baylor Connect, as well as their Instagram. Patel and Frescura both encourage students to give BURST a try, even if undergraduate research is not something they are currently involved in.
“I would just encourage people to keep an open mind about research and maybe come and see the club if it interests you because you may never know,” Frescura said. “You might hear about something that you find really interesting and that might lead you to do something that might lead you down a path of discovery that’s fascinating for you.”
