On Feb. 13, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education reaffirmed Seton Hall’s status as an R2 “high research activity” institution.
The R2 designation signifies that SHU produces substantial research while strongly emphasizing teaching and student engagement. Prof. Jose Lopez, professor of physics and director of the Office of Grants and Research Services (OGRS), shared that SHU first earned this classification four years ago and has maintained it since.
“We’re not focused solely on research,” Lopez said. “But we’re not focused solely on teaching.”
Lopez emphasized the role of research in advancing a student's academic and career goals. While recognizing the value of traditional classroom instruction, Lopez said that applying knowledge beyond the classroom is equally essential.
He added that this idea aligns with the overarching mission of the OGRS.
“We want to provide the kind of environment where you’re not only learning, but you also have an opportunity to practice what you’re learning and become a professional in your field of study,” Lopez said.
The OGRS helps students get involved in research in many different ways, especially in aiding in the quest for funding.
“Faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students will come [to the OGRS] and say, ‘I have this idea. Where can we find funding? Who might be interested in this?’” Lopez said.
Then, the OGRS helps the potential researcher find grants to apply for.
“[The OGRS] would help you find where the opportunity is,” Lopez said. “Then, you would prepare a proposal. In the proposal, you would explain: What is the merit? Why is this study necessary? And then, you need to put a budget together.”
The proposal then goes on to be reviewed by the funding agency. If the study is deemed meritorious, the researcher will be given the funds directly.
“You will receive the grant, and then you are responsible for that money,” Lopez said. “You’re effectively responsible for using that money and making sure that the study is done, that you’re publishing, that you’re presenting.”
According to Lopez, SHU has previously received funding from the the Department of Justice, the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
For example, Prof. Sulie Chang, director of the Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (INIP) at SHU, received funding from the NIH and NSF. Chang is currently conducting a study on “bi-directional interaction between the nervous system and the immune system.”
Like Lopez, Chang said that research is essential for students to deepen their understanding beyond the classroom.
“Whatever we study in the classroom may need to be reconsidered or reconciled if new evidence [emerges],” Chang said. “When it comes to higher education, we really need to think about not only going to class, getting a good grade, and going home.”
Prof. Joseph Huddleston, an associate professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, runs the university’s DiploLab, which he said is a “collaborative space for undergraduates to get involved in research and writing activities with faculty and learn skills that they can transfer into jobs down the road or graduate school.”
Huddleston said that usually, students in the DiploLab assist with projects that faculty in the diplomacy school have already begun to work on. However, that does not mean students don’t have room to begin research of their own.
“If we don’t have enough faculty participating or if we’ve already wrapped up some big research projects, we’ll work on projects that are led by students,” Huddleston said.
Either way, Huddleston said he believes that the DiploLab forges strong bonds between students and faculty members.
“It’s really driven by a conversation between faculty and students,” he said.
While there are numerous pathways for students to engage in research at SHU, depending on their field of study, breaking into the research sphere often requires perseverance and dedication.
Sanskruti Brahmbhatt, a senior biology major in the joint B.S./M.D. program researching in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said that securing a spot in a lab is highly competitive.
“There are research opportunities anywhere you look. You just have to pursue them a bit more than you’d think you would,” Brahmbhatt said. “It takes a lot of cold emailing and being okay with rejections and being okay with labs being full.”
Brahmbhatt also emphasized the importance of remaining committed once a student has secured a space in a lab.
“When you get to that lab and that research space, you have to make sure that your professor knows that you’re a valuable asset to their team relatively quickly,” Brahmbhatt said.
Mahika Ganguly, a junior biology major in the joint B.S./M.D. program, echoed Brahmbhatt’s sentiments. Ganguly said she has been working in Dr. Jessica Cottrell’s lab in the Department of Biological Sciences for just over a year, but acquiring that spot was no easy task.
“I bothered Dr. Cottrell so much,” Ganguly said with a laugh. “I emailed her five times within two months. I mean, I guess that’s just what you had to do.”
Ganguly had been cold-emailing many professors at both SHU and Rutgers, hoping to secure a research position. Dr. Cottrell was the only professor to respond, but her lab was full for the upcoming semester.
“She gave me a little string of hope where she was like, ‘I might have a spot open for you next spring,’” Ganguly said. “I held onto that.”
Now, Ganguly is working to prove that nicotine-free vapes are equally as harmful as vapes with nicotine in them.
“We tested a few flavors of just the liquid flavoring, and we found that that alone can decrease the health of cartilage cells within your respiratory system,” Ganguly said.
Overall, students currently involved in research on campus encourage their peers to get involved.
“Research is a way for you to test and figure out what you like and where you want to go,” Brahmbhatt said.
Sahil D’Souza, a junior biochemistry major in the joint B.S./M.D. program aspiring to go to medical school, said that research at SHU allowed him to explore possible career paths.
“Part of me was curious about research because doctors can be involved with clinical trials and things like that,” D’Souza said. “But I was also curious whether medicine would even be the right path for me. Research was a good entry point to explore that.”
D’Souza also said research gave him hands-on experience.
“In the lab, a lot of it is my own independent exploration,” D’Souza said. “It’s trial and error. It’s about seeing, ‘Okay, well, this is what we expect to happen. Does that actually happen?”
Chang encourages all students interested in research at SHU to attend the Petersheim Academic Exposition, which will take place from April 22–26. Students and faculty will present their work through research symposia, posters, presentations, and more.
Megan Pitt is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu.
