A group of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students are studying what it's like to be on Mars at a facility in Utah and will use data to help future space missions.
DAYTONA BEACH  -  A group of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students are studying what it's like to be on Mars at a facility in Utah and will use data to help future space missions. Another group of students is helping to track and count wildlife populations using an unmanned aircraft while yet another group is developing wind turbines. Those are just three examples of 10 research projects being funded out of Embry-Riddle's new Undergraduate Research Office. While the office opened in November, a new Undergraduate Research Center is opening today. The university will have an open house and grand opening at 2 p.m. of the office and center, which are on the third floor of the Hunt Library on the Daytona Beach campus. The center includes a commons area for students to study and do research together, several collaborative study rooms as well as five labs, including a computer, statistics, discovery, design and media research lab, according to Aaron Clevenger, executive director of Experiential Learning and Undergraduate Research for the university. The labs have a total of 26 computers as well as laptops and iPads that students can check out as well as two mobile interactive SMART boards. Some of the labs include 3D modeling software and 3D animation software, which Clevenger said can be used, for example, by engineering students to create a model of a plane. While the university had other labs in various departments, this is the first undergraduate lab for research projects. The center will "expand research for our undergraduate and expand the collaborative academic experience for undergraduates," Clevenger said. The university has renewed and expanded its focus on research, he said, including all the various majors and programs in the fall focusing on research outcomes for students at its Daytona Beach, Prescott, Ariz., and worldwide campuses. Clevenger said conducting research will help students not only in the future with their careers but with decision-making in their personal lives. The Undergraduate Research Office will also provide 10 projects grants a year for students totaling about $85,000 to $90,000 in addition to some travel grants. For example, about $7,000 was provided for a human performance in extreme environments project where students are at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, which simulates conditions on Mars. Embry-Riddle students are collecting data, such as measuring stress and other factors in isolation and confinement. Undergraduate research is also part of the university's Quality Enhancement Plan as part of its accreditation. Richard Heist, chief academic officer and chancellor for Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus, said President John Johnson's vision is to raise the research profile of the university particularly in Daytona Beach. He said that means getting everyone involved, from students to staff, and incorporate such learning in all of the courses. "This is going to be a growing culture on this campus  -  a research culture," Heist said. When students leave, "they will be in a better position to serve" their employer or continue their education, such as further research for a doctorate degree, Heist said. "We are preparing them for their future," he said. Faculty members are also involved in finding better ways to teach such as more collaborative learning. "It's really exciting we are getting a chance to get more of our kids involved and our staff involved in knowledge discovery," Heist said. As far as the Undergraduate Research Center, Heist said it will be a place where "students can go and exchange ideas and brainstorm and get advice from faculty."