The North Park Research Experience for Summer Students (NPRESS) provides opportunities for North Park students to participate in directed undergraduate research with a North Park faculty mentor over a period of eight weeks during the summer. NPRESS is open to full-time faculty and undergraduate students of all disciplines.

The research projects are awarded by the Undergraduate Research Committee to students based on:

• Merit: Is the project “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline”?
• Outcome: Does the project have clearly defined goals and are the goals achievable during the summer?  Will the project engage the student for a period of 8 full weeks of 30-40 hours of research work per week?
• Commitment: Is the student committed to the project and to full participation in the NPRESS program?

Previously, NPRESS has offered research projects to over 10 students for the duration of the summer. However, this year, NPRESS was limited to granting three students research opportunities because of a smaller pool of funding.

The three students who were chosen for NPRESS this year, Chanel Metti, Jacob Bretz, and Karen Weldler, are all seniors. Each student offered to share their experiences across the duration of the summer, giving their initial and final impressions of the research program.

Karen Weldler psychology major C’18 December used her summer experience as a pilot study for her senior project to test the methodology. Her project analyzed reactions to cognitive testing and her results and methodology need to remain confidential until her presentation at the end of her studies.

Jacob Bretz philosophy major C’18 December spent his research time to look into the concept of wilderness and the implementation of protected wilderness areas through a post-colonial framework.

Chanel Metti biology major C’19, along with her faculty adviser Dr. Brown, researched how cancer cells react with a dye.

Jacob Bretz

Through NPRESS I looked at the concept of wilderness and the implementation of protected wilderness areas through a post-colonial framework. Basically, our concept of wilderness is dependent on imperialist countries, and the only way we can implement the parks system is through colonialism.

Having spent my spring semester in Norway, I was not excited to return to Chicago for the summer. I had spent my previous summers in national parks as well. But coming back here for NPRESS, I thought this was awesome. I haven’t seen anyone make this argument explicitly, so I’m excited to do something that may be new in the field. I’m really excited to produce something interesting.

I wanted Dr. Greg Clark to work with me as my adviser because he knows so much about the idea of wilderness. I’m not as interested in the environmental argument, but the conservation argument. I’ve been in a lot of Greg’s classes, I’ve done the Writing Retreats with him, he’s been a mentor to me outside of NPRESS. If I could be half the professor Greg has been to me, that would be sweet.

I’ve never done anything close to this during the regular semester. Having two months to just bury yourself in research is amazing. And North Park isn’t a traditional research institution, so having something like this to show students the other side of what academics can be, I think is really important.

NPRESS is also for the students, which is different than other summer experiences because we’re not helping anyone else with their project; it’s our projects. The program allows students to say original things.

At the conclusion of the NPRESS program, each student is required to share a presentation on their research findings as well as submit an academic essay to the Undergraduate research committee. The amount of students admitted into the summer research experience varies in relation to the total available funding. Students who are accepted into the program receive a stipend throughout the eight-week program as well as free housing for the entirety of the summer. ���ϳԹ�, as well as the members of the Undergraduate Research Committee, are excited to welcome many more students into the research program next summer.