Promoting Research and Academic Creation Common to Puerto Rico

Students present their research on subjects important to them and their own communities.Created in 2005 by Excelencia in Education, Examples of Excelencia is a national initiative that recognizes institutions and nonprofit­ organizations that identify, aggregate, and promote evidence-based practices that improve Latinx student success in higher education. The four entities recognized this year span a diverse geographic area, but they share the mission of uplifting their communities while also creating a broader impact in terms of education and the workforce. Those entities are in the following categories: associate level, baccalaureate level, graduate level, and community-based organization. Following is a profile of the institution recognized as an Example of Excelencia at the baccalaureate level: Interdisciplinary Research Institute at University of Puerto Rico at Cayey.

The Interdisciplinary Research Institute is a unit of the academic dean at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. It promotes research and academic creation through projects with a regional, interdisciplinary and applied approach. The goal is to generate knowledge of use to Puerto Rico, most specifically the 11 towns in the Cayey service region, as well as supporting research of the faculty and students.

“What we do is to support and create a research environment,” says Vionex Marti González, director of the Institute. “Maybe half of our projects are based on those problems of our communities but are common to Puerto Rico. This is usually a practical site for gathering information, and we also receive inquiries and comments from our communities. We choose to do that research in this service region.”

Faculty is supported by the strengthening of the research environment to engage them and their students. This support comes in different forms, such as training in methodologies and mentoring for publication and proposal development. There is also monetary support for equipment, materials, travel, advisors and time off to do the research. Projects have addressed pressing issues such as race, discrimination, inequalities, and health disparities.

“We have invested in policy development — policies and strategies to increase collaboration and to create a supportive environment for research,” says Marti González. “After 22 years, we have created a multi-prong, comprehensive model to sustain and engage faculty and students in valuable research for a non-research university.

“We know that advancing undergraduate research is defined as a high-impact practice to help attain goals for those students,” she adds.

Rodriguez emphasizes the importance of undergraduate research opportunities in student retention and graduation. Students were able to do their research on subjects of importance to them and have an impact in their own communities. Using an interdisciplinary approach means diverse perspectives and depth of the work.