Undergraduate Research Awards provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project. UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they will remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.

**New! Entrepreneurship URAs provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate researchers to support the development of a solution to either a technical or social problem in collaboration with a UMBC faculty mentor. These solutions can be products or services, address a social or “green” concern, or promote ideas that generate artistic value. To be eligible for an Entrepreneurship URA, you must be enrolled as a UMBC student for the duration of the work proposed. For more information, contact Vivian Armor, Director, Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship 410-455-5740, or email armor@umbc.edu.

Reserve your seat here: 

https://my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch/events/53834

Undergraduate Research Awards provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project. UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they will remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.

**New! Entrepreneurship URAs provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate researchers to support the development of a solution to either a technical or social problem in collaboration with a UMBC faculty mentor. These solutions can be products or services, address a social or “green” concern, or promote ideas that generate artistic value. To be eligible for an Entrepreneurship URA, you must be enrolled as a UMBC student for the duration of the work proposed. For more information, contact Vivian Armor, Director, Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship 410-455-5740, or email armor@umbc.edu.

Reserve your seat here: 

https://my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch/events/53834

Research Basics        

• Choosing a Good Topic

• Citing Sources

• Understanding Call Numbers

Understanding Sources        

• Evaluating Sources for Credibility

• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

• What Are Primary Sources?

Finding Resources       

• Where to Search

• Searching for Articles

• Searching for Databases

• Using the Everything Search

• Find Primary Sources

For more topics, browse the full list.

Meet Joshua Lucker, one of our awesome LRC Tutors!

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Joshua Lucker. I am a Senior Chemistry and Mathematics double major. Aside from school, I love to sing, watch shows with my friends, and sleep!! 

Tell us about how you are involved on campus.

Outside of tutoring and classes, I am a part of a few clubs, most notably the American Chemical Society and the Lutheran and Episcopalian Campus Ministry. I am also a part of the Camerata, the UMBC choir on campus!

How and why did you get involved in being a tutor?

I tutored in high school and wanted to tutor when I came to UMBC. In sophomore year, my friend and I found out that we could tutor for the Math Lab, so we applied and both got in. I now have a blast tutoring for both the Math Lab and the LRC!!

What is your favorite thing about being a tutor?

I always love to help people with classes, and now I can get paid for doing it! I also love to see the lightbulb go off in someone's head when they finally understand something!!

Why should students utilize the tutoring?

It's no fun to struggle in classes (trust me I know). It always helps to have someone who can and is willing to help you succeed in your college career. If anything, you can affirm what you already know! 

What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a tutoring session? 

Always come with questions. We can't help anyone unless we know what exactly you need help with. Also, be willing to work with the tutor. Tutoring is a two way street, so you need to be willing to put in the effort as much as I am willing to put in the effort. 

When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?

They can sign up for appointment tutoring in either Chemistry or Math, or come see me in the Math Lab Tuesdays or Thursdays from 11-12, or Fridays 12-1!!

It's National Tutor Appreciation Week, so celebrate by getting to know one of UMBC's awesome Writing Center Tutors:

Meagan Barrett

Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm currently a junior English major who loves to write fiction, and draw my ideas! I have two cats, and spend most of my time reading and/or binge watching​ Criminal Minds on Netflix. 

Tell us about how you are involved on campus.

On top of tutoring, I'm a copy editor on both the Retriever Weekly and the Bartleby staff. Most semesters I also work as a Writing Fellow for English 100 classes. So there are quite a few places you might see me around campus!

How and why did you get involved in being a tutor?

Funnily enough, I found out about tutoring on campus when I was tutoring my mathematically-inclined boyfriend in English 100. I did such a good job, apparently, that he was recommended to be a Writing Tutor! Before then, I didn't know the Writing Center even existed. He declined, but I decided to follow the instructions on the email myself, and I emailed the Writing Center director to see if I she would consider hiring me instead. 

Initially, I was interested because I wanted an on-campus job that was easy for me to do in addition to my classes. However, during my internship in the Writing Center, I discovered that I really enjoy working with and helping others understand writing.  

What is your favorite thing about being a tutor?

My favorite thing about tutoring is that it gives me the opportunity to talk about my biggest passion all the time! Writing is kind of my life's mission, so being able to work with it directly is pretty exciting for me. 

Why should students utilize the tutoring?

I definitely think all students should utilize the Learning Resources Center, and not just if you're on the verge of failing your classes. I think it's hard sometimes, because our culture tends to put a stigma on the idea of "tutoring," so it can be hard to ask for help when you need it. 

But the fact of the matter is that it's normal to need help! And the Writing Center is a place that allows students to get that extra help in a low-pressure, nonjudgmental environment. All of us writing tutors know that writing is hard, and even the best writers make mistakes. So getting an extra set of eyes can make a huge difference to your grade, because they'll probably notice something you didn't!

This is especially true of writing, but can also be true of other subjects as well — getting a second opinion never hurts! 

What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a tutoring session?

I think the most important way a student can prepare for a session is by making sure you know what you want to focus on! If you bring a seven page paper to a 30-minute session, I likely won't be able to look at the whole thing. So it's important to prioritize what you need help with, so we can spend our limited time on things that matter to you! (But also — bring two paper copies with you!)

When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?

I'm available in the Writing Center, located on the first floor of the AOK Library, on Mondays from 1-3, Wednesdays from 12-1 and 2:30-3:30, and Thursdays from 2:30-3:30. I'm also available for online tutoring on Tuesday nights from 7-8. And I'm always happy to help!

It's National Tutor Appreciation Week!  Celebrate one of our SI/PASS leaders:

Dhruvil Patel

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Dhruvil Patel, and this is my 3rd semester of being an SI/PASS leader. I am a junior Biochemistry major with a minor in Sociology, currently on the Pre-Medical track. I hope to practice medicine and commit my life to helping others after I graduate from UMBC. 

Tell us about how you are involved on campus.

In addition to being an SI/PASS leader for Chem 351, I am also a Genetics TA, and an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Paul Smith's Organic Synthesis lab.

How and why did you get involved in being a SI/PASS leader?

I first started off as an LA for Chemistry 101 during my Spring semester of freshman year. After being an LA, I found out that I was recommended by my professor to become an SI/PASS leader for Chem 101. I accepted the offer and started holding SI/PASS sessions for Chem 101 because I really liked helping others during my time as an LA, and so I wanted to commit my time to holding sessions and guiding students towards success by helping them further as a leader. 

What is your favorite thing about being a SI/PASS leader?

My favorite thing about being an SI/PASS leader is seeing, first-hand, the "aha!" moment that arises when students finally understand a difficult concept or idea by coming to the realization of a piece of information that they have missed all along. When I get frustrated on a topic, I generally do some research on it and try to figure out ways to help me understand it better. However, the feeling you get when you learn something from another source, versus being guided in the right direction and figuring it out on your own is very different. When you figure things out, the information stays longer in your head because you own the logic and thought process that is associated with it to some extent. Thus, when students have that "aha!" moment, it makes me feel happy for them since I know that they have left my session learning something or understanding something in a better way. 

Why should students utilize SI/PASS sessions?

Tutoring can greatly help a person improve their grades by not only helping them find an answer, but also by helping them reinforce what they have learned in class. Most college classes require to apply general concepts to bigger and new situations, and by building on the foundations and reinforcing ideas, students can dramatically see improvement in their application skills as well. 

What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a SI/PASS session? 

When reading the book, write down any questions that they may have so that they can bring them up to an SI/PASS leader in class or during a tutoring session. This way, students can stay organized and go to a session knowing what topics are to be covered in a session as well as have their own specific questions answered. 

When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?

For fall of 2017, my SI/PASS sessions are held in Sondheim 103 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00AM- 11:50AM for Chemistry 351. 

Celebrate National Tutor Appreciation Week by getting to know Math Lab Tutor Brianna Salmond!

Tell us a little about yourself.

- I am a Math major/ Psych minor here at UMBC. I’ve worked in the Math lab since Fall 2015. I plan on getting my Masters in Education after graduation. 

Tell us about how you are involved on campus.

- As stated before, I’ve tutored in the Math Lab since Fall 2015 but I’m also part of the Sherman Scholars Program. I am also a grader/TA in the Math department. 

How and why did you get involved in being a tutor?

- I got involved with being a tutor because of my Mentor Mrs. Tighe in the Math department. I decided to become a tutor because I knew that when I was in many of other student’s place, I wanted the help. I knew that I wanted to help people that needed help as well. 

What is your favorite thing about being a tutor?

- My favorite thing about being a tutor is the lightbulb that brightens in the students minds when they finally understand what I’m saying. They have a certain look of accomplishment and I truly appreciate because I made it more clear for them to understand. 

Why should students utilize the tutoring?

- Students should utilize tutoring because it is a resource that is available. Students shouldn’t have to suffer if they don’t understand something that their professor might’ve been vague about. If someone needs a little more help, that doesn’t mean you’re “dumb” or you “just can’t learn”, like some may think. We are here to help and people should feel comfortable taking advantage of that help. No question is a “dumb” question. 

What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a tutoring session? 

- When preparing for a session, DO NOT just come in to say “Okay, teach me stuff.” You should have specific questions already prepared, whether it’s a homework question, practice question, or something that wasn’t clear in class. We are tutors, not professors. 

When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?

- I am usually in the Math Lab (located in the Library) from 4-5pm on most days. Mondays I am there 4-6pm, Tuesday 4-7pm, Wednesday 4-5pm, and Thursdays 3-6pm.