UCF student returns from NSF Research Experience

Congratulations to Roman Torres, who was one of two students from UCF’s Political Science department selected for a highly competitive REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) during summer 2012. Participants were selected from applicants nationwide.

The REU on Civil Conflict Management & Peace Science, held at the University of North Texas, was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and covered the students’ transport, housing, and a stipend for the 8-week experience. Workshops of the residential program included theory building and computer simulations, research design and analysis, and graduate school preparation.

Roman greatly enjoyed his time, as described in his comments on his time at UNT:
“My time during the National Science Foundation research experience has most certainly helped me understand what is expected from a graduate student and from a researcher. I was given the opportunity to choose a topic to study, and I chose to analyze the current strategies adopted by our government to fight drug trafficking from Latin America into the United States. I learned to theorize and to think analytically, not only about my ideas, but also about how to measure and conceptualize the different concepts that I was writing about. By the end of the program I and my cohort we able to produce a quantitative scholarly article, which will serve as a writing sample when the time to apply for graduate school arrives. I would recommend to any undergraduate student to apply for a program like the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates.”