This is the first story in a three-part series on the impact of 20 years of Creative Inquiry + Undergraduate Research (CI) at Clemson. Founded in 2005, CI’s impact reaches 40% of Clemson’s living alumni body. Visit the program’s website for more information.
Research isn’t limited to the 5,676 individuals that make up Clemson’s graduate student population. In fact, the trend of meaningful undergraduate research among colleges and universities nationwide continues to grow. Clemson is no exception, and is recognized as a leader in this space among its peers.
Since its founding in 2005, more than 2,500 research projects have been conducted through the Creative Inquiry + Undergraduate Research (CI) program. In total, it’s supported more than 72,000 undergraduate student experiences.
Associate Director of the Watt Family Innovation Center Barbara Speziale is one of only two people to serve as director of CI — following in the footsteps of current Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Jeff Appling — and has held the role since 2008. She welcomed it as a program different from undergraduate research at most institutions. Whereas other universities tailored their programs primarily to high-end students who classified as seniors, CI has always been available to students at all levels, including those in their first year at Clemson.
“Creative Inquiry broke through the traditional boundaries that suggested undergraduate research had to be one-on-one and done only by white coats in STEM fields,” she says. “We have courses that started way back in the beginning and are still ongoing, and they cover multi-disciplinary fields from engineering to psychology to food science and athletics.”
It doesn’t end there, either. Some CIs are noticeable to the Clemson community, such as the public art project responsible for bringing unique artwork to Core Campus in the area just outside McAlister dining hall, and the photovoltaics project that designed, built and installed solar stations outside of the Watt Center. Some students work with Amanda Fine in the Department of Marketing, learning how to run the Tiger Paw Classic, an annual golf tournament that has raised over $280,000 for non-profits and scholarships. Students sell foursomes, solicit sponsorships and execute all deliverables related to the event. Others participate in the Tiger Pen Pals program, where preservice teachers and education majors are matched with Bahamian students to examine literary practices and societal issues on the island of Eleuthera.
“In 2005, the charge was to give all undergraduates an experiential learning opportunity,” says Cora Allard-Keese, CI’s associate director and 2022 recipient of the Class of 1956 Award for Staff Excellence. “Students may not even fully understand the breadth and depth of potential opportunities that are out there — there’s a research process for everything.”
Creative Inquiry is available in every academic department at Clemson. Currently, all colleges host CIs, with many in departments and disciplines located in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences; College of Science; College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; and the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.
CI sometimes provides students an opportunity to engage in industry projects. It also gives them an incredible opportunity to work closely with renowned faculty — a big boost when it comes time for job recommendations and interviews.
“It’s a great recruiting advantage for faculty,” she says. “Clemson undergrads are as good as many graduate students, so we have inventive faculty who embed them to help advance their research goals.”
Equally as important as the student and faculty relationship is CI’s impact on a broader scale. This year alone, Allard-Keese says the program has 139 projects directly benefiting South Carolina through research, service learning and outreach. Some extend beyond the state’s borders, such as Ashley Gambrell’s research in the Florida Keys to study the impact of waste on invertebrates.
Allard-Keese keeps track of CI impact through a robust database developed in 2013. Faculty are asked to report back at the end of each year if their research has been published in academic journals or books, or if they’ve presented key findings at conferences and seminars.
“Students travel to conferences regionally and internationally,” Speziale says. “It’s impressive having a kid stand up at a national conference and present research in front of a room full of Ph.D.’s — it’s good for Clemson.”
The University has been recognized for its CI program among peer institutions. In 2022, Clemson participated in a national symposium with about 20 other universities. Speziale estimates only four came close to Clemson’s magnitude and scope.
Speziale and Allard-Keese both envision CI being the national model for cross-disciplinary undergraduate research. They want it to continue to make a significant impact on an evolving workforce.
“We’ve incorporated elements of studying abroad, service learning, entrepreneurship and innovation,” Allard-Keese says. “CI is about having a vision and showing the potential of what it can be for students. Since CI’s start 20 years ago, it has become thoroughly ingrained in the campus culture and the Clemson student experience.”