MoSU Leader Gains Insight to Strengthen Undergraduate Research

Morehead State University coordinator of undergraduate research Alexis Mathews attended the Council on Undergraduate Research’s ConnectUR Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in June 2025 with funding from the KCV GOAL Fund. The conference is designed for faculty, staff and administrators who oversee undergraduate research programs, offering strategies, networking and professional development to strengthen these efforts on their campuses.

The GOAL Fund supports faculty, staff and students from KCV partner institutions in attending conferences and events that promote innovation and commercialization. Participants can apply for funds to cover related expenses, with the expectation that they will gain valuable knowledge, establish networks and enhance their skills. Mathews shared more about her experience attending ConnectUR and receiving support from the GOAL Fund.

Can you tell us about what CUR and ConnectUR are and why you wanted to attend?

CUR supports and promotes high-quality undergraduate research, scholarship and creative inquiry. They offer professional development opportunities and resources for students, faculty and staff as well as awards and small scholarships. Every April they host the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) for undergraduate students to present their work, which is a great opportunity for students. ConnectUR, however, is professional development for people in positions like mine who are running UR programs and for faculty and staff mentors. I wanted to attend the conference to make connections with people in positions like mine who could be a sounding board for ideas, but I also wanted to learn best practices and what others are doing with their UR programs to help continue to grow ours.

What is something you learned at the conference that you plan to incorporate into your work?

Something I learned that isn’t actually something I can incorporate, but did help me, was this: we’re already doing things we should be doing. There was a lot of talk at ConnectUR about partnering with your university’s career services office. We already do that here at MSU. My position – undergraduate research – is housed in our Center for Career Development and Experiential Education, which also houses our career services team. We’re already collaborating with each other, so in that regard I felt ahead of the game.

But to actually answer the question is hard. I learned so much at ConnectUR and I came back with several ideas. One thing that’s stuck with me that I’m actively working on is having more opportunities for students. MSU has our Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF) program, which is great because it pays students who are involved in the program. But we need more opportunities, specifically more course-based research experiences (CUREs) and other research programs like a summer program.

Why is it important to attend professional opportunities such as ConnectUR?

The simple answer is that we never stop learning. The world is constantly changing around us with new research being pursued and rapid technological changes and, of course, people change. If you’re not continuing to learn best practices or seeking additional information, you won’t be the most helpful to the people you’re working with. It’s important to make connections and learn from others, strengthening your skills and knowledge so you can do the best that your students, faculty and staff deserve.

How did you learn about the GOAL Fund and was there anyone specific who helped you?

MSU is a partner institution with KCV and we’ve been trying to grow that relationship. When they’ve been on campus throughout the last several years, we spend a lot of time talking about the opportunities for students, faculty and staff so I’ve known about the GOAL fund for a while. Caroline Stivers was very helpful in navigating the process once I was awarded the fund, so I really have her to thank!