URaCE: What We Do
Undergraduate research represents a hands-on and highly engaging educational experience that fosters student success.
Research demonstrates that students who engage in High-Impact Practices such as undergraduate research, graduate on time, earn better grades, and are better prepared for the demands of post-graduate education and the world of work. Evidence-based research also indicates that engagement in HIP activities increase student persistence and retention.
What We Do...
Undergraduate Research Programs Undergraduate Research Programs Develop and expand opportunities for UTC undergraduates to engage in mentored research experiences at UTC, nationally, and internationally. Signature programs include the Undergraduate Research Work-Study program, the Undergraduate Research and Professional Development Learning Institute, and Summer Business Research Internship in Vietnam.
Training and Instruction Design and present workshops and seminars to engage students in all aspects of the research enterprise, and assist students with preparation for future careers, post-graduate education, and the world of work. Topics focus on identifying UR opportunities on and off campus, applying for NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and graduate school, attending academic conferences, preparing for career success, and building an academic brand.
Identify, Publicize, and Track undergraduate research experiences, opportunities, and outcomes, and share information with the UTC community.
Collaborate Cultivate strategic partnerships with faculty, staff, and members of the local community to identify funding for UR experiences, develop innovative programming, and launch intentional educational experiences for undergraduates.
Outreach Educate, increase awareness of and a passion for research through student and faculty consultations, class visits to highlight the benefits of UR, and participation in student and family orientation and community events.
Promote the value of UTC student and faculty research and creative contributions through the administration of annual academic conferences and funding awards including the UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference, UTC Fall Research Conference, the SEARCH award, and student conference award.
In summer 2025, Office for URaCE director Dr. Lisa M. Piazza was featured on the CITI Program's On Research podcast. In this two-part episode of On Campus, we dive into the power of undergraduate research as a catalyst for student engagement. Host Ed Butch and special guest co-host Alexa McClellan welcome Dr. Lisa Piazza, Executive Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
This episode explores how research experiences - especially in the early college years - can ignite curiosity, develop critical thinking, and help students connect more deeply with their education. Dr. Piazza shares her own journey, the value of mentorship, and how research can empower students to find their voice, regardless of major or background. It's a conversation that reimagines how institutions can engage undergraduates in transformative ways.
In part two of our conversation with Dr. Lisa Piazza, we focus on the evolving landscape of undergraduate research and how campuses can broaden access to these formative experiences. Dr. Piazza discusses how inclusive practices, faculty involvement across disciplines, and the exciting innovations reshaping undergraduate research today. From shifting institutional mindsets to embedding research in the undergraduate journey, this episode continues our season's exploration of the engaged university - one where every student has a chance to participate meaningfully in the creation of knowledge.