Steven Holt: “I rise in support of H. Res. 1654. We would like to see the week of April 11, 2011, designated as ``Undergraduate…”

“I rise in support of H. Res. 1654. We would like to see the week of April 11, 2011, designated as ``Undergraduate Research Week.'' Mr. Speaker, as a scientist and an educator, I know the value of undergraduate research both for the students and for the research enterprise. Undergraduate researchers formed the backbone of my research program when I was a faculty member at Swarthmore College, and they also contributed valuable work to my research at New York University and at Princeton University. I watched as their hands-on experiences with the process of discovery helped them develop skills that cannot be obtained just in the classroom, and I watched as it heightened their understanding of science and their enthusiasm for research. I might add, they produced excellent research. Around the country, thousands of students at hundreds of colleges and universities are involved in undergraduate research experiences that will shape the trajectories of their lives and their careers. Yet we would benefit if thousands more were involved.”