Empowering Panthers to Explore
Designed to promote and facilitate meaningful scholarly inquiry, CURC connects undergraduate students with faculty mentors, interdisciplinary projects, and platforms to present their work—whether in STEM, the arts, or the humanities.
From participating in research-intensive programs to showcasing original findings and creative works at University symposia, students gain real-world skills, build professional confidence, and contribute to new knowledge that shapes their academic and career journeys.
Thought Leadership Across Disciplines
The CURC is where students showcase the breadth of inquiry and creativity supported across all fields of study and expression. These opportunities allow CAU students to engage deeply with real-world problems, collaborate with faculty, present to academic audiences, and apply creative and analytical skills across disciplines — from STEM and data science to arts and humanities.
Interdisciplinary STEM Research
REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates): Students in chemistry and STEM fields can participate in an intensive 9-week research program exploring topics at the intersection of materials chemistry and data science, working with faculty mentors on computational modeling, data analysis, and scientific inquiry.
Materials Science Collaborations: CAU students can take part in summer research partnerships (e.g., with Penn State), contributing to hands-on materials science and engineering projects, gaining laboratory experience, and contributing to interdisciplinary research outcomes.
Presentations at Research Symposiums
Oral and Poster Presentations: Students can showcase the results of their research. Whether early-stage findings or capstone work, students present in talks or poster sessions at CURC’s annual Undergraduate and Graduate Research Symposium.
Creative Works Presentations: Beyond traditional research findings, students can present creative research through performances, art, fashion, design, or multimedia projects that reflect scholarly inquiry with artistic expression.
Broader Research and Creative Projects
Course-Based Projects: Research projects stemming from coursework, such as data science explorations or field studies that can be refined and presented through CURC programming.
Internship-Linked Research: Research conducted during internships or community-based participation can be submitted for symposium presentation and further developed with faculty guidance.
