Campaign Initiatives

Dr. Howard Kaufman

A Donor's Vision for Making Progress Begins with Undergraduate Research

Dr. Howard Kaufman had his first taste of conducting research as a psychology undergraduate at UIC. It changed his life. Now, more than 20 years later, he's an accomplished physician, surgeon, professor and author, widely recognized for his melanoma research. Today he is creating research opportunities for current College of Liberal Arts & Sciences undergraduates through his Howard L. Kaufman Undergraduate Student Award Fund.

“Research means something different at UIC,” says Kaufman. "Here, students actually conduct it, are supported by their faculty and administration, and the work that results is appreciated. It is a place where research careers get started.”

Dr. Howard Kaufman at work in his lab.

His endowed award comes at a time when UIC is supporting the discovery of new knowledge as part of its Brilliant Futures campaign. At the same time, the college is underscoring the importance of undergraduate research. In fact, Kaufman's gift will help fund LAS's newly launched Undergraduate Research Initiative, which supports undergraduates and faculty involved in research collaborations in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.

This promises to be a thriving program, as evidenced by an extraordinary turnout of 48 applicants for 23 funded projects in only its first semester of existence. Studies indicate such programs can improve students' leadership, research, thinking and communication skills, as well as advance their professional development.

The research oppurtunities that Shauna Gunaratne ('09 Neuroscience) had in LAS helped her to win a Fullbright Fellowship.

“One of the reasons I am so passionate about opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research is deeply personal,” says Dwight A. McBride, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “My experience as an undergraduate research assistant truly changed the course of my life, ultimately leading me to pursue an academic research and teaching career.”

Kaufman's vision is to foster research programs at UIC that will create life-changing opportunities to mirror those he and Dean McBride had. "To have an impact on a disease like melanoma has changed my life," says Kaufman. "Research is a way to make progress and I want students to learn about and engage in it. It is one of the most important things they can do."

Adapted from an article for The Spark by Jessica Olive on July 15, 2009.