The UPERSS program provides opportunities for undergraduate Social Sciences students to work closely with faculty (or an advanced graduate student) to do research, creative work, or a community-based project.
How UPERSS Works
Students enroll in SS 3090 Exploring Undergrad Research in Social Sciences for between 1-3 credits. Students earn 1 unit of academic credit for every 3 hours worked per week (limited to a total of 3 credits per semester). UPERSS is open to all Social Sciences undergraduate majors who have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Still, in order to be placed on a project, students must apply and be accepted by the respective faculty mentor.
UPERSS students share an overview of their research experiences at the annual Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium (date TBD). Alternatively, students can fulfill this requirement by creating a well-developed poster, website, or visual representation of the project, or sharing a 4-5 minute recorded presentation of the project. Other options, such as co-authoring an article in a journal, presenting to a class, or presenting at a conference could also work. All decisions on this requirement should be made with the faculty mentor.
Learning Objectives
- Communicate effectively through writing, speech, and visual information
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Develop teamwork and accountability skills
- Practice presenting results and conclusions of the research
Getting Started
The first step is to review the project descriptions below and weigh decisions on time commitments and how well the opportunities match your interests. You might also approach a faculty member you know is doing research that interests you, even if they don't have a project listed here, to inquire whether they would be open to doing a UPERSS project with you. You're encouraged to reach out to mentors for any projects that you are interested in to learn more.
Application Process
To ensure consideration, the application deadline for Fall 2025 courses is Friday, April 4, 2025.
Applications should be emailed directly to the faculty mentor. They should include: Resume and a Cover Letter. Letter should be a professionally-written statement that includes: academic, personal, and/or career interests, any research experiences or courses to date; and how participation in this UPERSS project aligns with interests and goals.
The faculty mentor will review and contact you. They may wish to schedule an interview. If you are accepted/approved, your faculty mentor will contact the Social Sciences administrator to sign you up for the course.
Fall 2025 Projects
Currently available projects and faculty mentor—scroll down for full descriptions
- Treasure in trash? Aluminum, landfills, and communities in America (Robins)
- 3D Modeling of Antique Scientific Instruments (Walton)
- Poverty and Law: Legal Services for Northern Michigan (Peters)
- Remembering Michigan Tech Student Boarding Houses in Houghton through the Years (S. Scarlett)
Research Project Descriptions
Treasure in the trash? Aluminum, landfills, and communities in America (Fall 2025)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Robins
Project Description
This project is part of a Department of Energy-sponsored investigation of the feasibility
of recovering aluminum through landfill mining(https://www.netl.doe.
Potential Benefits
-
Learn how to identify, access, and interpret records from business, government, and other sources
- Practice communication and collaboration skills with an interdisciplinary team
- Contribute to published research
- Further opportunities with MTU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Senior Capstone Projects or Senior Design Team, and paid summer research positions.
Student Time and Commitment
- Option to take for 1-3 credits, with hours corresponding 3-9 hours/week
Contact
Jonathan Robins
- Associate Professor of History
- jrobins@mtu.edu
- 906-487-3080
3D Modeling of Antique Scientific Instruments (Fall 2025)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Walton
Project Description
A mid-18th century inventor left four diagrams for a navigational instrument he called the "Plato(s)meter," but they have lost their full descriptions. We can understand them more effectively if we can build a replica, and today that means modeling it in 3D software and then 3D printing it to figure out exactly how it works. This UPERSS seeks a student reasonably conversant in some form of 3D modeling software (probably Fusion 360˚, but please help me know what would be best for this!) to take these four drawings, the limited textual description that accompanies them, and build the Platosmeter in digital space. We'll then print and assemble it and learn about how to navigate like it was 1760 (or at least how one inventor thought it could be done!).
Benefits to students
- Use digital tools to answer real historical research question.
- Develop your 3D modeling software skills
- Develop your visual interpretation skills with haptic and intellectual validation considerations
- Be included as an author on a peer-reviewed article
Credits and Time Commitment
-
1cr.; 1 hour per week meeting + 2-3 hours work; 1 hr. weekly meeting
Contact
Steven Walton
- Associate Professor of History
- sawalton@mtu.edu
- 906-487-3272
Poverty and Law: Legal Services for Northern Michigan (Fall 2025)
Faculty Mentor: Susanna Peters
Project Description
Northern Michigan Legal Services has an office in Houghton and serves only low income residents seeking help with evictions, custody, guardianships, unlawful termination, medical insurance, and wide array of critical services. Selected students will be working with Legal Services Attorney and the faculty mentor to assist the staff and clients in a variety of ways and will also go to court hearings when available. It is difficult for low income residents to obtain legal help locally as the UP is considered a "legal desert", and lawyers are both scarce and expensive. Therefore finding ways for non- attorneys to effectively assist residents is one of the goals of this projects. Students in the project will be on the front lines of helping to determine what is possible for the future.
Benefits to students
For students who are interested in issues surrounding rural poverty and law working with this clientelle will give them both experience and practical understanding of the issues facing the rural poor.
Credits and Time Commitment
2 or 3 credits: 4 or 6 hours in Legal Services Office space per week during the weekdays.
(Times tba with staff attorney and mentor), meetings and written work can be done
off site. Weekly reflections and short paper at the culmination of the semester to
be agreed with by faculty mentor. Meetings every other week or every week as needed.
Dependent upon agency availability
Susanna Peters
- Associate Teaching Professor
- Social Sciences Program Advisor
- University Ombuds
- speters@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2391
Remembering Michigan Tech Student Boarding Houses in Houghton through the Years (Fall 2025)
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Scarlett and Elise Nelson, Director of the Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw (Houghton)
Work with Prof Sarah Scarlett and Director of the Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw, Elise Nelson, to contribute to ongoing research and museum exhibition development related to student boarding-houses through the years in Houghton. Michigan Tech was founded in 1885 but didn’t build its first dormitory, Douglass Houghton Hall, until 1938. Where did all those students live? Mostly in Houghton’s neighborhoods in many of the same houses students have occupied for decades. Today, students and Houghton residents alike are clamoring for comfortable and affordable housing, putting increasing pressure on aging buildings and infrastructure. This project will document the spaces and stories of Michigan Tech boarding house experiences through the years, develop a public exhibition for sharing these histories, and investigate the politics of economic, cultural, and environmental sustainability with respect to historic preservation.
Potential Benefits
Learn more about the field of public history, museum practice, methods of historical analysis, and community-driven history projects. Experiences could include any of the following, depending on student interest and timing : -- Archival research and historical evidence analysis -- Built environment documentation and analysis -- Storyboarding for exhibition development -- Writing exhibition text for public audiences -- Organizing community story-telling events -- Docent duties at the Carnegie Museum -- Communicating with the Houghton city planning commission.
Credits and Time Commitment
1-3 credits (3 to 9 hours per week)
Sarah Scarlett
- Associate Professor of History
- sfscarle@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2110
Program Contact
Kari Henquinet
- Teaching Professor, Social Sciences Undergraduate Studies Director
- Peace Corps Prep Program Director
- Sustainability Science and Society Program Advisor
- kbhenqui@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2116