Education and Exploration:
Undergraduate Research at Rice

Laura Gardner
English and French Studies Double Major

Laura Gardner is no stranger to research. The English and French studies major has been preparing for her senior thesis since her second year at Rice. Laura is part of the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP) and is working on a project on fallen women in Victorian culture. English professor Robert Patten, who is Laura’s senior project adviser, says she stood out as a sophomore in his survey of British literature course with her instinct for finding the appropriate feature of a text to focus on. “She’s disciplined, thorough, insightful, and self-directed,” he says. “She is both creative and very careful in her research.”

And it was the ability to work closely with professors like Patten that brought Laura from the suburbs of Atlanta to the diverse metropolis of Houston. “One of the things I have most enjoyed about my experience at Rice is the accessibility of great professors,” she explains. When Laura was considering attending Rice, she and her family spoke with English professor Dennis Huston. Laura says, “He spent an hour on the phone talking about the undergraduate English major at Rice, emphasizing how special Rice was for its attention to undergraduates.” She was really impressed that a nationally renowned professor was willing to spend that much time talking with the family of a prospective student.

Laura’s made good use of that accessibility by participating in the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program. “RUSP is definitely a unique and excellent opportunity at Rice. Through this program, I have not only been able to learn about life as a scholar from top faculty at Rice, but I also was able to take my research to a higher level by studying in London. The program consists of 15 to 20 undergraduates who receive $500 to $1,500 grants for their research. That’s a huge investment to make in undergraduate research, but it pays off.”

It definitely paid off for Laura. One of 40 students chosen nationally to receive a Marshall Scholarship, she will spend the next two years studying in Britain. In her first year, she will work toward a master’s degree in London studies from Birkbeck College at the University of London. There, she will examine the formation of London from architectural, historical, and social perspectives. In her second year, she will study for a master’s in English with a concentration in literary biography at King’s College London at the University of London.

“I’m thrilled to have won this award,” Laura says, “I had a fabulous time studying abroad last year and know that the next two years will be even more exciting.”

Laura has lofty goals for the future. She wants to pursue a Ph.D. in Victorian literature, learn about the book publishing trade, and one day become an English professor. “I’ve spent a lot of my time at Rice talking with my professors about life in the academy and the challenges and fun parts of graduate school,” Laura explains. “I’m very grateful for their good advice.”