The Columns Journal helps students publish their research and provides student training
Green cupcakes line the front table of Parker Auditorium to celebrate students piling in for the first meeting of The Columns Journal. University of Missouri students and co-presidents, Isabella Hall and Samuel Martin as well as the rest of the executive board welcomed students for their newly founded undergraduate research program on Jan. 27.
The Columns Journal offers club and research opportunities for undergraduate students at MU.
The club will host meetings every other week, allowing students to participate in workshops and listen to speakers from different disciplines talk about research topics. Students will also be able to publish their research through the journal.
“We wanted to have researchers across campus to have somewhere to submit, but that doesn’t mean they have to be in the club,” Hall said.
Hall said one of her main goals is to have The Columns Journal be an organization for students of all majors and for students to get their research out into the community.
The club is also meant to aid students in their research if they need it. As a biological sciences major, Hall is also a part of Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society and the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
Hall said these societies also fuel research-oriented studies and have helped her realize the importance of undergraduate research programs.
“I think that it helps you get involved in the campus,” Hall said. “You learn a lot that you can put into your toolbox as an undergraduate researcher including collaborating with faculty on campus, and it could be a really helpful asset for you when you’re applying for what you want to do when you graduate.”
Hall said she strives to work with students to make sure they are getting everything they need out of this organization.
MU is a Research 1 university, meaning it strives to be a top research institution with a high level of research activity.
The Columns Journal’s faculty advisor Dr. Sarah Humfeld has played a large role in mentoring students.
Humfeld is the assistant director of MU’s Office of Undergraduate Research. She said she believes undergraduate research allows students to gain skills for the real world, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.
“I wanted them to really think hard and talk to other professors about what the policies should be, (especially with what’s) going on with Gen AI,” Humfeld said.
In order to become a recognized student organization, Hall and her colleagues had to submit an application, make a constitution and get a faculty mentor to sponsor them, among other steps.
Although it was a long process, Hall said she believes it was worth it. The journal will be published at the end of every school year through the MU library’s open journal system. Even though the organization is still in its infancy, Hall said she has already found a great community.
“The connections that I have made with the people have been really fulfilling so far and getting to see people actually show up for this and want to be a part of it has been the most rewarding thing,” Hall said.
Edited by Maya Dawson | mdawson@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz| agoodykoontz@themaneater.com