Undergraduate research enjoys real-world impact, funding at ECU

Undergraduate research enjoys real-world impact, funding at ECU

Dedicated faculty mentorship, experiential learning and institutional funding help launch careers that make an impact

Wall and Sirianni are the kind of student-faculty pair that serves as the model for undergraduate research at ECU. Part pipeline, part incentive program, undergraduate research is less a track than a defining part of the student experience - one that reflects the university's commitment to student success and regional transformation. Undergraduate research helps students prepare for meaningful careers, ones that make an impact on their communities.

"Our students treat research not as something reserved for graduate school or a select endpoint but as an opportunity, like choosing a major, available to all students from the moment they arrive on campus," said Dr. Tuan Tran, who directs undergraduate research at the university. "The three-pronged approach we have here is hands-on experiences, sustained mentorship and institutional investment. That's how we graduate students confident and skilled, positioned to become creators of knowledge, not just consumers of it."

Wall parlayed her early work and network at the Water Resources Center into deeper efforts inside the geology department to perform water quality testing and community outreach across eastern North Carolina. She learned to manage a lab space, calibrate equipment and mix reagents. That led to research assistance in biology for Meghan Nadzam in Dr. April Blakeslee's lab for which Wall will get a publishing credit.

She expects her own study, "Fungal Composition of Organic Soils Along Salinity Gradients at Shackleford Banks," to publish, and her advisors, Sirianni and Dr. Michael Brewer, an associate professor in biology, have offered to support her as co-authors.

"Dr. Sirianni and Dr. Brewer have been spectacular helping me design, fund and execute my research. … I could not thank them more," Wall said.

Through faculty mentorship, sustained support and opportunities to showcase their work, ECU students are discovering that research is not only available but transformative.

'The Relationships that Continue Beyond Graduation'

When Wall applied for an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity award late last year, she was well prepared. This spring, her examination of fungi on Shackelford Banks was funded, and she was awarded a grant worth almost $2,200 - $700 in assistantship and the rest for materials and travel to the island to collect field samples.

"People should come to ECU if they want to do undergraduate research," said Wall.

Sirianni says Wall embodies the research culture at ECU, which is bold and unique to each researcher - undergrad, grad and faculty - as well as interconnected and collaborative.

"Since my 'freshman' year as faculty, I've worked with undergraduate researchers from a variety of majors and experience levels, and it's rich and rewarding to me because I am mentoring the next generation of scientists - I'm witnessing their skills and professional identity develop in real-time," Sirianni said.

"Even more special are the relationships that continue beyond graduation," said fellow faculty member Dr. Thompson Forbes.

From across campus, Forbes, an associate professor in the College of Nursing, echoes Sirianni's outlook. In the fall 2025 round of URCA awards, Forbes mentored nursing student Annaleise Darrohn to a win in the biomedical sciences category for her project, "Expanding Interprofessional Collaboration for Healthcare Innovation."

Forbes said undergraduate research develops natural leadership and lifelong learning that may innovate workplaces and industries. His own work applies data science in pursuit of evidence-based pathways to nursing care and patient outcomes.

That philosophy aligns closely with the OneECU Student Success Model, which emphasizes clear pathways, experiential learning and professional readiness - empowering students to take ownership of their educational journeys.

'Start Somewhere'

The model envisions students building skills and workforce experiences throughout their academic careers while developing the confidence and adaptability needed to make a difference after graduation, whether entering the workforce or graduate studies.

"East Carolina is building experiential learning pathways because employers in the east and beyond want students who have researched, who have presented their research, who have applied for funding," said Dr. Sharon Paynter, senior vice provost for research and innovation. "Workforce innovation is a critical mission objective. Student success drives that innovation, and its result is regional transformation."

At ECU, undergraduate research is not a ladder one climbs or a clique-y campus club. It's more like a great pool of opportunity undergraduates are invited to jump into.

Over the next several years, Wall expanded her research interests through collaborations with faculty across disciplines. Her URCA award-supported project, "Fungal Composition of Peat Soils Along Salinity Gradients in Eastern North Carolina," combined expertise in hydrology, ecology and bioinformatics.

"As someone who has been doing research for their entire undergraduate career, I think any kind of research opportunity is important," Wall said. "Reach out to a professor who interests you and try something new. We all have to start somewhere."

Wall's experience reflects a hallmark of undergraduate research at ECU: Meaningful opportunities grow over time through sustained mentorship and intentional support.

Future undergraduate researchers will embark on multiyear experiences that build confidence, expertise and professional identity. By the time they, like Wall, receive a research award and commit to present at Research and Creative Activity Week (April 5-9), they will not merely be advancing out of a training stage but demonstrating what can be done by an undergraduate when faculty, a university and a region invests in talent. And get results.

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