CREATING A COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS.

• Position: EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION

When Deanna Lee came from Arizona to study at High Point University, she didn't think of herself as a scholarly researcher.

But before her senior year arrived, she had a list of research accolades, projects, papers and experiences that have led her to become what Dr. Joanne Altman, director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, calls "distinguished from the rest."

"Academic research has given me purpose," says Lee, now a senior who is double majoring in biology and psychology and preparing for graduate school. "It has shown me how to leave my handprint on the world."

It began with the Research Rookies program, which Altman designed to engage new students as scholars.

That helped Lee hone writing, research, presentation and data collection skills. It also introduced her to her first mentor in the biology department, and later to her second mentor in the psychology department.

She presented her work at numerous conferences, won an award at a conference in San Francisco, and has devoted summers to research projects that span from science labs to assisted living facilities.

It's all part of the HPU mantra.

"Our mission to engage students in research reflects what Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU president, often asks our students regarding career preparation--'What makes you stand out?'" Altman says. "I remind students that they will be one of 1.98 million other college graduates across the United States looking for jobs. What is it that will make them different?

"Undergraduate research separates them from the crowd."

STUDENTS WHO ARE 'WELL-ENTRENCHED'

The first summer that Lee devoted to research was in the biology lab of Dr. Veronica Segarra. They worked to derive data from a yeast protein that might have the ability to carry nutrients or other molecules.

The next summer, she went out into the community to see if narrative storytelling--the art of telling stories from one's past--could improve the health of elderly residents at an assisted living facility.

In both cases, she had faculty mentors who guided her--Segarra, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Kirsten Li-Barber, associate professor of psychology.

"In Dr. Segarra's lab, she treated her students as true team members," Lee says. "She allowed us to explore scientific methods and ask big questions. I met Dr. Li-Barber through the Research Rookies program and knew she expected a lot of her students. I knew if I could be her research assistant, she would really push me forward."

Lee's...