General Student Life Science and Technology Education

Undergraduate Research Program celebrates 20 years at MSU Texas

Andy Newberry
17 July 2025
3 min read

UGROW, the summer undergraduate research program at Midwestern State University, turned 20 this year as 20 MSU Texas students participated in the annual symposium and a celebratory luncheon.

Jonathan Price, chair and Prothro Distinguished Professor of Geological Science and one of the 2025 UGROW Directors, along with Chair and Associate Professor of Mathematics Sarah Cobb, is pleased with how the program has given research opportunities to students over the years. The symposium showcased the rapid accomplishments of students after five weeks of research.

“By all measurements, this was a very successful run,” Price said. “Student interest in the program was strong, and we were fortunate to engage 20 students from all over campus in 11 research projects.”

“Undergraduate research is an important high-impact practice, so having UGROW on our campus for 20 years demonstrates MSU’s investment in research and our students’ futures,” said Margaret Brown Marsden, the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at MSU Texas.”

The presence of UGROW (Undergraduate Research Opportunities and Summer Workshop) at MSU Texas was a draw for Price.

“I’m pleased that MSU has provided an opportunity for hands-on encounters with tools and topics for these last two decades. Speaking personally, UGROW was one of the attributes that drew me to MSU 15 years ago – it has not disappointed. Year after year, it’s been a bit of a magic trick, seeing students encounter new projects and processes, quickly adopt skills and abilities, and develop a mastery of difficult, cutting-edge investigations.”

This year’s projects included biochemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, geoscience, and mathematics. But proposals are open to the entire MSU campus, not only to students of the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics & Engineering. UGROW has long championed interdisciplinary efforts.

“Because of the interactive nature of

Marcy Brown Marsden gives opening remarks at the 2025 UGROW event — Marcy Brown Marsden gives opening remarks at the 2025 UGROW (Undergraduate Research Opportunities and Summer Workshop). In top photo, Romario Hughes and Joshua Muroi give their presentation on Using Spearman's Rank Correlation Method to Determine the Relationships Between Water Quality Parameters and Their Suitability for Water Membrane Distillation and/or Electricity Generation. (Photos by Logan Spikes/MSU Texas)

the program (group workshops, poster sessions, and the symposium), it fosters interaction and connection across disciplines,” Price said.

Price sees the benefit to faculty, too, as the process naturally leads to professors gaining new insights to share in classroom or with others in the academics.

But in the end, UGROW fits the student-centered mission of MSU Texas perfectly.

“For the student researchers, I’ve seen it spark intense engagement and serve as a launch pad for continued inquiry, lifelong curiosity, and future successes,” Price said.

UGROW has made an undeniable impact on hundreds of students since 2005, when the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics & Engineering professors had the initiative to create an interdisciplinary environment to train and nurture young scientists.

“The 20th provided a chance to reflect, and we were honored to be joined for the closing events by Dr. Magaly Rincon-Zachary, professor emeritus of biology and progenitor of UGROW and its sibling program, EURECA,” Price said. “We also invited Dr. Meaghan Rose (’17) to address our luncheon. Dr. Rose is a former UGROW researcher who now works as a research scientist assigned to the Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU), Craniofacial Health and Restorative Medicine Directorate, in San Antonio. In her remarks, Dr. Rose mentioned how undergraduate research at MSU more than prepared her for a Ph.D. and fostered a resourcefulness that serves her today.”