Communicating the Value of Undergraduate Research
“If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” The same question can be asked about research: If groundbreaking discoveries aren’t shared outside of academia, can they truly make an impact?
Franchesca Vilmenay ’26 and her mentor, Paula Chaves da Silva — undergraduate research assistant and associate researcher, respectively, with Bentley’s Center for Integration of Science and Industry — have spent the last six months contemplating an answer. As participants in the Council on Undergraduate Research’s prestigious Scholars Transforming through Research (STR) program, the pair have been learning how to translate complex research into compelling narratives that can influence policymakers and drive meaningful social change. Their involvement was supported by a grant from the Valente Center for Arts and Sciences’ Undergraduate Travel Fund.
“The STR program helps students develop and strengthen their professional skills in translating undergraduate research for public audiences,” says Chaves da Silva, who holds a PhD in morphological sciences and joined the Center for Integration of Science and Industry in 2021. “This goal aligns perfectly with our center’s mission to ‘understand the process by which science is translated for public value.’”
Turning Research Into Action
Vilmenay and Chaves da Silva joined teams from 53 other U.S. colleges and universities for monthly online meetings, where they learned how to communicate effectively with media outlets, elected officials, funding agencies and other public policy stakeholders. The program culminated with a trip to Washington, D.C., in March, where the duo visited the Capitol Hill offices of Massachusetts senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Representative Katherine Clark. During meetings with legislative staffers, Vilmenay and Chaves da Silva discussed research they’ve undertaken through the Center for Integration of Science and Industry, including a study exploring how pharmaceutical value is generated and distributed through public and private sectors.
For Vilmenay, a double major in Finance and Health Industries, the opportunity to share her research with lawmakers proved eye-opening. “Before this experience, I wouldn’t have been able to envision how a business student like me could inform Congressional policy,” she explains. “The STR program pushed me to think deeply about the type of public scholar I can be, whether that’s as a non-partisan advocate, a policy entrepreneur or maybe even an expert witness in the future.”
Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning
Beyond highlighting their own research findings, the Bentley team spoke to policymakers about the broader benefits of undergraduate research. “As someone who engaged in basic research early in my undergraduate years, I have seen firsthand how transformative these experiences can be in developing critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills,” Chaves da Silva says. She believes it's vital for higher education institutions to continue offering students experiential learning opportunities like these, which help undergraduates “learn how to navigate complex systems and make evidence-based decisions.”
Vilmenay agrees: “Undergraduate research provides hands-on experience, equipping students with knowledge that goes way beyond any textbook.” Her own work with the center, she shares, “has not only enhanced my knowledge of biotech financing but also deepened my appreciation for the ethical dimensions of drug pricing and public health policy.
“My experience with the STR program reinforced just how essential interdisciplinary study is — that being able to connect different fields and communicate across disciplines is a skill that truly makes an impact,” Vilmenay continues. “I truly believe that undergraduate research is a tool for empowerment. It allows students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world challenges and gain the confidence to engage in high-level discussions across different industries.”