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URCA Positions Available (Spring 2011)

Started by Gary Mayer, 2010-11-05T14:22:38-05:00 (Friday)

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Gary Mayer

Dr. Bouvier, Dr. Stefik, Dr. Wang and I have all been given the opportunity to have an undergraduate assistant next semester. Below is a general announcement. If you follow the link to the URCA site, you can view our project details and see all of the others.

I am looking for an undergraduate student to assist in developing a multi-threaded simulation engine. The project involves learning about simulation engines, using UML for design, and a multi-threaded Java implementation. If interested, please email a resume and cover letter to me at gamayer[at]siue[dot]edu.

Regards,

- Dr. Mayer


General Announcement Follows:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


November 5, 2010

Dear Students,

The URCA Assistant program offers exciting opportunities for SIUE undergraduates to work closely with faculty on their research and other creative activity projects!

URCA Assistants work on faculty-led projects for approximately 9 hours per week under the direct guidance of a faculty mentor.  Assistant positions are for a minimum of one semester; some can possibly be renewed. In addition to gaining excellent, hands-on experience for a resume, in-depth knowledge of a field of study, and a close working relationship with a faculty mentor, some of these positions also offer the opportunity to earn course credit.  Also, around 80 Assistants per semester will receive an $800 award for their participation!

Faculty from across the university have applied to be mentors, and there is room for over 100 students to participate this spring.  These positions are posted at http://www.siue.edu/urca/assistantcurrentprojects.shtml - next to each participating professor's name is a description of the position (available as either PDF or Word document) and a link to click to apply if you are interested in that position.  Students apply directly to the faculty member through the website.  The deadline for student applications is December 6, 2010; faculty must select the students to fill their positions by no later than January 10, 2011.  However, faculty may choose to fill their positions earlier, so students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible!  Once you apply, be sure to regularly check your e-mail for a response from the faculty member (even over the holiday break!).

Any student who has a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or above and who will be enrolled as a full-time student (minimum of 12 credit hours) at SIUE for the entire spring 2011 semester may apply.  Students may apply for multiple positions, but are only allowed to accept one position per semester!  Once you have committed to a professor, you cannot accept another professor's offer!  Once selected, all URCA assistants must maintain satisfactory progress as defined by the faculty mentor.

For more information and to apply, please visit our website at www.siue.edu/urca and check out the Assistant Information section on the left of the webpage (in the grey box).  Please note: the URCA program includes both Assistants and Associates.  This letter is in regard to the Assistant program; if you're interested, please make sure you're applying to be an Assistant.  Students are not allowed to hold both an URCA Assistant and an URCA Associate position at the same time. 

One final word: URCA positions are not the only research positions available on campus.  Check with your advisor or department chair for other possible opportunities.

Sincerely,

Laura Pawlow, Ph.D.                                                   
URCA Coordinator
Campus Box 1121
618-650-2608
lpawlow[at]siue[dot]edu 
-- Malekith

The higher, the fewer, Doctor. The higher it goes, the fewer.

William Grim

I recommend doing this.  Either I didn't know about URCAs as an undergrad or they didn't have them, but these things will really help you expand, especially with what I can imagine for a simulation engine.  If it matters to any of you thinking about it, we use simulation modeling out in the real world all the time.
William Grim
IT Associate, Morgan Stanley

Ross Mead

The URCA program at SIUE is an incredible and unique opportunity -- many universities don't have such a program!  As a two-time graduate of the program myself, I can say that the experience you gain from a year-long research project will impact the way that you think about and approach problems, and will really provide you with a solid and unique platform to stand upon when applying for graduate school or industry.  In particular, anyone interested in pursuing a higher degree in graduate school should not pass this up.

If you have any questions about the process and would like to talk to someone who has gone through it before, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Good luck!  :-)