Peer Ambassador Program

Any undergraduate or graduate student who has experience doing research is eligible to participate. We especially encourage applicants in these categories:

1. Students who have previously served as First-Year Scholars themselves.
2. Students with extensive research experience (1+ years) and who have presented at conferences and/or published.
3. Graduate students, especially in disciplines heavily represented in the First-Year Scholars Program (see the entire list of projects). 
4. Students must have a 3.0 GPA at the time of submitting their application.

We welcome applications from all students, including students from underrepresented minority groups.

Graduate students who are serving as a GRA/GTA are NOT eligible (graduate assistantships' contracts stipulate no other paid work at the university). Graduate students who do not have a paid graduate assistantship are welcome to apply.

Undergraduates who work on campus can work no more than 20 hours per week across all of their positions. If you take a Peer Mentor position, you can only work about 16 hours per week at the other campus job.

Students can have no more than 2 student assistant positions at KSU. Students who already have 2 positions would have to drop one to take on this role. Eligibility requirements and student employment parameters can be found on pages 6-8 of the student employment handbook.

Students will serve as ambassadors for undergraduate research. The Office of Undergraduate Research is always trying to increase the visibility of undergraduate research for students. Here are some general activities for peer mentors; specifics will be negotiated with each peer mentor at the start of the experience.

Peer Ambassador responsibilities will be: 

• Facilitate research related workshops for first-year scholars and the general campus community 
• Increase knowledge about classroom visits, and facilitate scheduled visits 
• Mentor first-year scholars and/or any student engaged in research, during scheduled appointment times 
• Work the KSU Open Houses, and partner with existing Spotlight Tours to bring attention to undergraduate research with their colleges 
• Work Orientation Resource Fairs 
• Attend weekly meetings with the OUR Director and Program Manager 
• Participate in OUR events, as available, including OUR Open House, Symposium of Student Scholars, First-Year Scholar Orientation Sessions, FYSP/SSP Check-in Sessions, End of Semester Socials, and others 

Training will be provided to all accepted mentors. Training modules will include the following: 

• Mandatory Orientation
• Undergraduate Research Overview (e.g., Office of Undergraduate Research resources and initiatives)
• Peer Mentor Program Overview (e.g., duties, requirements, time commitment, communication rules)
• Interpersonal Skills (e.g., communication skills, emotional intelligence)
• Cultural Skills (e.g., culturally responsive mentoring)
• Facilitation Skills (e.g., best practices in facilitating a workshop, best practices in working in teams)
• Campus Resources (e.g., Writing Center, Counseling & Psychological Services, Career Planning & Development, Library, Student Disability Services)

Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are now closed.

 

The following information will be used to select peer ambassadors:

1. Disciplinary background of the applicant. We hope to hire Peer Ambassadors that can cover the breadth of disciplines represented in the First-Year Scholars Program.
2. Past experience with research. Peer ambassadors will need to have experience conducting research. Factors that the review committee will consider include: 
   1. The amount of time applicants have spent conducting research
   2. Experience disseminating the research at conferences and/or in publications
   3. Any funding the applicant has received for conducting research
   4. Any awards the applicant has received related to research
3. Personal characteristics. Peer ambassadors will need to be responsible, stable, hard workers, reliable, innovative, empathetic, and show a positive attitude and willingness to learn. In addition, peer mentors need to be able to support students with diverse backgrounds and should have excellent organizational and time management skills. 

The deadline for applications for the 2024-2025 academic year is Wednesday August 21, 2024 at 11:59pm.

Students will hear back within two weeks regarding the decision. 

Students will work for one academic year. Hours for each semester will be set to not conflict with your class or other work schedule. 

Abeywardana, S. U., Velasco, S., Hall, N., Dillon, J., & Chun, C. A. (2020). Near-peer mentoring in an undergraduate research training program at a large master’s comprehensive institution: The case of CSULB BUILD. Understanding Interventions Journal, 11(1), 1–32. Retrieved from https://www.understandinginterventionsjournal.org/article/12477-near-peer-mentoring-in-an-undergraduate-research-training-program-at-a-large-master-s-comprehensive-institution 

Dolan, E., & Johnson, D. (2009). Toward a holistic view of undergraduate research experiences: An exploratory study of impact on graduate/postdoctoral mentors. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(6), 487–500. Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/166953/ 

Thiry, H., Laursen, S. L., & Hunter, A. B. (2011). What experiences help students become scientists? A comparative study of research and other sources of personal and professional gains for STEM undergraduates. The Journal of Higher Education, 82(4), 357–388. Retrieved from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/447038