2025 Promotional Video
Mission
The VCSU Student Opportunities for Academic Research Program (SOAR) will provide opportunities for innovative collaboration with faculty and staff in ethical research, scholarship, and creative activities that prepare undergraduate students to be lifelong learners in their professions and communities.
Vision
The VCSU SOAR program will facilitate and showcase innovative undergraduate student research, scholarship, and creative activities that promote lifelong learning through advanced research and ethical service.
SOAR is a student-focused, high-impact learning program at Valley City State University.
Outline of the Process
The Student Opportunities for Academic Research program supports faculty-mentored research, artistry, and creativity projects for undergraduates at VCSU.
Students interested in pursuing mentored research or artistry should consult with a prospective faculty member on the project idea, then work together on the development of a short proposal that communicates the essence and scope of the intended work, and submit that proposal through the VCSU HR jobs website by application deadline in November or April. The Advisory Committee will review the proposal and respond with feedback, regardless of whether the applicant is awarded a grant. Awardees may begin work on their project the subsequent semester.
Application cycle deadlines
First Monday of November (fall, for projects that begin in the spring); first Monday of April (spring, for projects that begin in the summer or fall).
For the 2025-2026 school year, the application deadlines are November 3rd and April 13th.
Committee Members
The chair of the SOAR Advisory Committee is Lindsey Leker ([email protected])
- Gratia Brown (Art; [email protected])
- David DeMuth (Science; [email protected])
- Yang Du (Computer Systems and Software Engineering; [email protected])
- Emily Fenster (Sociology/Social Science; [email protected])
- Wesam Helmi (Business; [email protected])
- Kenneth Jimenez (Music; [email protected])
- Alexander Jorgensen (Political Science/Social Science; [email protected])
- Amardeep Kaur (Business; [email protected])
- Allison Keller (Kinesiology and Human Performance; [email protected])
- Steven King (History/Social Science; [email protected])
- Lindsey Leker (Psychology/Social Science, [email protected])
- Susan Pfeifer (Computer Systems and Software Engineering; [email protected])
- Jenni Russi (Communications; [email protected])
- Hilde van Gijssel (Science; [email protected])
- Emily Wicktor (Language and Literature; [email protected])
- Casey Williams (Fisheries and Wildlife Science; [email protected])