{"id":9,"date":"2026-03-31T18:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2026-04-02T17:46:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:46:44","slug":"fall-2026-mural-projects","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall 2026 MURAL Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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MURAL (Mentored Undergraduate Research and Applied Learning) projects<\/strong> are structured, faculty\u2011led opportunities for students to earn academic credit while working closely with RSENR faculty on real research or applied projects. Through MURALs, students join a small mentoring cohort and gain hands\u2011on experience\u2014whether in fieldwork, data analysis, policy work, community\u2011engaged projects, or creative scholarship\u2014while developing skills that go far beyond the classroom. Students benefit from individualized mentoring, meaningful academic deliverables, and the chance to explore interests, build professional readiness, and clarify future academic or career goals. If you\u2019re looking for a deeper, more personalized learning experience that connects coursework to real\u2011world impact, a MURAL project is a powerful way to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Each of the following projects offer a unique opportunity to engage in hands\u2011on research or applied work through close faculty mentoring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to click on each project\u2019s information<\/strong> link to learn more about the focus of the work, expectations, required meeting times, and how the experience may support your academic and career goals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ENSC 3995 Undergrad Research, Anne Jefferson, Microplastics in VT<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Study microplastics in Vermont environments, gaining hands\u2011on experience in field sampling, lab analysis, data interpretation, and scientific communication through a real research project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ENSC 3995 Undergrad Research, Eric Roy, Green and Sustainable Water Infrastructure<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Learn how to design stormwater infrastructure that is both green and sustainable through a hands-on design-build-test-refine process grounded in ecological design and sustainable materials management principles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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FOR 3995 Undergrad Research, Bill Keeton, Science Communication for Old-Growth Forests<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Work as a team to: collect original field data in nearby old-growth forests and restoration experiments, process and analyze field data, synthesize a large body of peer-reviewed research, and develop multi-media communication products for a new website and Youtube channel. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SEP 3995, Undergrad Research, Noelia Barrios-Garcia, Invasive Species<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Carry out you own independent research project focused on invasive species ecology. Topics may include understanding the ecological factors that influence invasive species establishment and spread, evaluating management strategies, and assessing restoration strategies in managed areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SEP 3993, Independent Study, Eglee Zent, Plants and People<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Explore the relationships between plants and human cultures through hands\u2011on cultivation, ethnobotanical research, and creative or scholarly projects that connect ecological knowledge, cultural narratives, and sustainability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WFB 3993 Independent Study, Sam Hoff,\u00a0Investigating Bat Populations<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Analyze real bat acoustic and environmental datasets to answer conservation\u2011focused research questions, gaining experience in bioacoustics, GIS, ecological data analysis, and scientific writing while contributing to applied wildlife management research.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Application Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The application process is designed to help students identify projects that match their interests, skills, and academic goals, while allowing faculty to build engaged, well\u2011aligned project cohorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Application Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Explore available projects<\/strong>
    Review the list of MURAL projects offered for the upcoming semester and identify opportunities that align with your interests and experience. Note that most MURAL projects include a required weekly meeting time that does not<\/strong> appear in the Schedule of Courses. Students should be prepared to adjust their schedules to attend these meetings; specific details are listed on each project\u2019s page.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Submit an application<\/strong>
    Click the     application link and complete the form<\/strong><\/a>, which includes a brief essay explaining why you want to join this project and what you would bring to it, as well as a current resume.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Faculty review and outreach<\/strong>
    Applications are shared with the MURAL faculty lead, who will contact applicants within approximately two weeks of registration. Offers are made on a rolling basis until all project slots are filled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Register for credits once accepted<\/strong>
    Accepted students will receive a registration override and must enroll for the approved number of credits.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    MURAL APPLICATION FORM<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    MURAL (Mentored Undergraduate Research and Applied Learning) projects are structured, faculty\u2011led opportunities for students to earn academic credit while working closely with RSENR faculty on real research or applied projects. Through MURALs, students join a small mentoring cohort and gain hands\u2011on experience\u2014whether in fieldwork, data analysis, policy work, community\u2011engaged projects, or creative scholarship\u2014while developing skills that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1574,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1574"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions\/33"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/mural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}