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As a first-year student at 91��Ƭ��, I had no idea what research at a college level looked like, or how to approach finding out more about research. I knew research was an asset at 91��Ƭ��, and that 91��Ƭ�� is deemed an R1 institution, but I did not understand the full extent of what that meant. For context, being an RI university means that 91��Ƭ�� highly values and invests in research. It means that 91��Ƭ�� hs a large budget on research funding, and also that 91��Ƭ�� offers a multitude of PhD programs across multiple disciplines. During my orientation in June, I was given the option to enroll in a program called “Innovation Scholars.” I checked the box saying I would like to take the class, not knowing that it was going to be one of the best decisions I have made so far at 91��Ƭ��.

Innovation Scholars is a program run by the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) that gives first-year students an amazing chance to get involved in research. Essentially, students choose to enroll in the course during orientation and select the cohort they are interested in joining. As an incoming bioengineering major, I chose the biomaterials cohort, but there were other cohorts such as advanced manufacturing, internet engineering, and patterns and symmetry, to name a few. Each cohort is interdisciplinary with many different majors being able to and encouraged to enroll in each cohort. For example, my biomaterials cohort had bioengineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, and physics majors. This, I believe, is part of the reason why Innovation Scholars is such a phenomenal program. Not only are students introduced to research in their first year at 91��Ƭ��, but they are introduced to a version of research that encourages conversation amongst an interdisciplinary team, teaching students to take multiple viewpoints and understand the nuances of conducting research. 

The first semester of Innovation Scholars is meant to be a foundation, laying out the groundwork for a future in research. Because this is a program for first-year students, we worked on skills that many upperclassmen have already obtained. For example, in my biomaterials cohort we learned about cell cultures, as well as organic chemistry topics. Most first-year students do not learn about these subjects until later in their college career, so this program helped me in many of my future classes by giving me a headstart on the subject matter. We also learned about other research opportunities both through the Hamel Center of Undergraduate Research and through off-campus opportunities, such as the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program (NSF REU).

The second semester of Innovation Scholars focused on giving students the opportunity to present at the Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) in April. Within each cohort, groups of three-to-four students were formed, and each group decided on a research project that they would work on for the remainder of the semester. Under the guidance of a research mentor or principal investigator, these groups completed the research project they chose or designed together. We not only learned research skills, but how to present our research via a poster presentation, as well as the importance of effectively communicating research. At the URC, all cohorts competed to win the Innovation Scholar competition, which resulted in a monetary reward for the winner. My group researched the adherence of human dermal fibroblast cells to a cryogel matrix for the development of an alternative therapy to cleft palate rehabilitation. The students I worked with, the brilliant people I met, and the knowledge I gained during this project is indescribable, and I will forever be grateful for my participation in this program. 

Innovation Scholars inspired me to continue doing research and I was awarded a Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program (REAP) grant during the summer of 2025. I was then offered a position as a student ambassador for the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research in the fall of my sophomore year. Research has become not just an extracurricular, but a regular and crucial part of my undergraduate experience, just like the courses that are required for my major. Currently, I am working on research as a part of the Cognition, Brain and Language Team (CoBALT) to research the impact and success rate of implicit learning on those who suffer from post-stroke aphasia. I also have made a connection with Hixon Lab at the Thayer School of Engineering of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. I have been in correspondence with the principal investigator of that lab, in hopes that I may be able to pursue a PhD as a member of her lab team. This was directly correlated to my involvement with Innovation Scholars, as my group’s research project was being led by a collaboration between Hixon Lab at Dartmouth University and Li Lab at 91��Ƭ��.

Innovation Scholars made my first year at 91��Ƭ�� unforgettable. It brought me from a freshman with no concept of what research is to a potentially PhD-bound student heavily involved in research. This program not only pushed me in my first year but also helped me set myself up for a research-focused future. Innovation Scholars is an invaluable opportunity that I would encourage all first-year CEPS students to enroll in, even if they are unsure about their own interest in research.