Kayla Dunning
  • sociology
  • Brookfield, WI

Kayla Dunning Presents at National Research Conference

2013 May 22

Kayla Dunning, a senior sociology major at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, presented at the 27th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

The event, held April 11-13 at UW-La Crosse, promoted high-quality student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship.

Dunning, from Brookfield, Wis., joined a record-setting 3,000 students and their faculty mentors from across the country who attended.

Dunning's project was titled Fostering Competence: The Link between Teaching Social Workers a Process and Practice Skills.

Studies show that undergraduate research leads to better job readiness and encompasses a broad range of student talents, interests and skills across academic disciplines. Additionally, participation in undergraduate research contributes to improved student retention and graduation rates.

"Advancing undergraduate research projects has many important benefits - for the students, for the university and for the entire state. Students who collaborate with professors on meaningful research are more likely to stay in college and complete their degree. The hands-on experience prepares them for professional success after graduation, and the added brainpower in our research projects provides a tremendous return on investment, including job creation and economic growth," said UW System President Kevin P. Reilly.