Coastal Carolina University recently named Robert Young its new Director of Undergraduate Research, effective immediately. He will take over duties from Charmaine Tomczyk, the only person ever to hold the position.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is a resource for the support and promotion of undergraduate learning and faculty/student collaboration through research experiences and the distribution of their findings. The term "research" applies to all disciplines and includes a broad array of scholarly, creative/original works and investigations.

"My main duty will be to promote undergraduate research experiences at CCU, in terms of both quantity and quality, and to increase awareness about these activities," said Young. He will oversee the annual undergraduate research competition, help to coordinate various off-campus undergraduate research presentations by students and serve on the University Research Council and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Executive Board."

CCU's QEP program is a university wide initiative to improve student learning. It is designed to transform the educational culture in exciting and meaningful ways by making experiential learning the centerpiece of a student's educational mission. Young worked with his predecessor Tomczyk in developing the QEP initiative.

"Charmaine has established a strong foundation for undergraduate research at CCU, and I am fortunate to be able to build on her accomplishments," he says.

Young, a professor of marine science, joined the CCU faculty in 1992 and served as chair of the Department of Marine Science. He previously served as associate provost for the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research.

"I am well aware of the rewards, the challenges and the opportunities for participation in undergraduate research, and I am convinced that a focus on experiential learning is critical to the future success of our university, " he says.