“It was the research experiences at WCU—more more than anything else—that got me into graduate school.”
Carey Burda, natural resource conservation and management major
Perhaps we want to understand the workings of the natural and physical world or help to conserve our natural resources and the environment. We may want to explore the role of history in society or better ways to teach and learn. Whatever the field, research allows us to ask and answer questions. It provides the information to solve problems, allowing us to make a positive contribution to our discipline and to society.
Creative scholarship allows us to express, explore and communicate creative ideas and concepts. Through artistic creations, exhibits and performance, societal conventions, history, beauty and human nature are expressed or challenged. It’s easy to think of research and inquiry as exclusive to the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines yet these processes are fundamental to the creative fields, too. While the methods used may be different, the same high standards of academic rigor exist.
No matter your major, background or interests, WCU provides all students with diverse opportunities to participate in this process with faculty and other professionals.
For more information, contact Dr. Carol Burton, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies, or Dr. Brian Railsback, Dean of The Honors College.
