Getting Started with Research
Resources Hand out
Strategies for Identifying a Faculty Mentor/Sponsor
What is a Faculty Mentor/Sponsor?
Research is complicated and subject to very high standards. In addition to issues of
quality, research has many ethical considerations and rules and regulations. For
example, before research can even be initiated and conducted, it must be in
compliance with institutional guidelines and, in many cases, cleared by the
Institutional Review Board (IRB). Visit the IRB
http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/orsp_home/orsp_irb
It is helpful (and often required) to have an experienced researcher in your area
who is familiar with these rules and guidelines to advise you and help you verify
that your research falls under the necessary standards for quality and ethical
considerations! A faculty member who is experienced in the area of research and
scholarship in which you plan to work can provide guidance, feedback, and
collaborate with you on developing a research agenda. You may work on the faculty
member’s research, as an assistant, and a faculty mentor will help you develop your
own role in research. Publication and presentation as an undergraduate often
requires a faculty sponsor to review and endorse your research.
Steps to finding faculty who may serve as mentors or direct you to other potentials:
Review faculty research interests and areas of expertise.
UTPA Research Centers: http://www.utpa.edu/research/centers/
Search Knowledge and Expertise at UTPA; http://rsp.utpa.edu/
Go to College and Department websites to view biographies
Example: http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/coecs_home
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department of Manufacturing Engineering:
http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/cose_home/manu_home
Faculty:
http://portal.utpa.edu/portal/page/portal/utpa_main/daa_home/cose_home/man
u_home/manu_faculty
Look at the research interests. Go deeper, look at CV
What is a CV? What are you looking at?
Let’s look at Dr. Butler’s:
http://portal.utpa.edu/portal/page/portal/utpa_main/daa_home/cose_home/man
u_home/manu_faculty/manu_butler
Pay special attention to publications, where students are listed (this means this
faculty member works closely with students and supports student research!).
Contact potential mentors/sponsors
When you contact a potential faculty mentor, you want to keep a few things in mind:
 Be respectful and professional – you are basically applying for consideration
(be polite, but also use professional contact information)
 Understand that the faculty member is busy and has other commitments. Ask
permission to take some of her or his time.
 Give the faculty member a sense of what you are interested in doing, why you
think you are deserving of her/his time, and your willingness to commit.
 Understand that the faculty member you initially approach may not be the
right mentor for your interests, but that s/he may be able to help you find
someone more appropriate.
 Follow up with a formal Thank You note.
Sample email:
Let’s assume I am interested in studying Manufacturing Engineering, and I am
especially interested in Computer Aided Design. I have done some research, and I
have also heard from other students that Dr. Butler in Manuf. Engineering works on
some interesting CAD and national intelligence projects. I have also heard that he
works with students in his research project. I went to his online biography and
noticed that he has included many students on his publications. He also has a lot of
grants, and I know that grants are projects that often need student assistants. I
decide to contact Dr. Butler to see if I might meet with him to discuss the possibility
of working with him. I send the following email to his professional email address:
Dear Dr. Butler:
I am a sophomore at UTPA, and am studying Manufacturing Engineering. I have
taken a number of courses in the department and have done well. My GPA in my
major is 3.6. I am very interested in becoming involved with research and with
working with a faculty mentor on possible research projects. I am especially
interested in Computer Aided Design. I read through your CV and your biographical
sketch and noticed that you are doing some exciting work in that area, and that you
have been successful with getting grants to support your projects. I also noticed that
you have worked with students and have written papers and presented with your
students.
I was hoping that I could meet with you personally to discuss the possibility of
working with you, or to get some advice about identifying someone at UTPA with
whom I may be able to consult about student research opportunities. I know that
you are very busy, and I would appreciate any time you might be able to offer. I can
be reached by email at myname@utpa.edu, or by phone (myphone#).
Thank You,
Danika Brown