WCU Magazine Fall/Winter 2025

News from the
Office of Research & Sponsored Programs

This past fiscal year (July 2024-June 2025) the University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs saw a 35% increase in external grant submissions (66 to 89); a 30% increase in grant submission dollars ($23M to $30M); and a 17.5% increase in number of awards (40 to 47).

In addition, there has been a 67% increase across all WCU student internal research opportunities. Those opportunities include the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI), in which undergraduates work with a faculty mentor to develop and engage in a research project for five weeks during summer and earn a $2,500 stipend; Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF), in which undergraduates can work with a faculty mentor during the spring semester and earn a $500 stipend; Research and Creative Activities Day, held every spring semester, with cash prizes for winning research or creative activities by undergraduate and graduate students; and Student Research and Creative Activity Awards of up to $500, recognizing undergraduate or graduate students who complete original research or creative activities.

Senior Ethan Farkouh examined college students’ knowledge of and misconceptions about food ingredients and additives for his Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project.