The students received a course credit for the project, but Cancell and the group agreed that the project required considerably more effort than a traditional course - and also provided considerable rewards as well. However, she would do it again if she had the chance. Not many undergraduate students get that kind of opportunity. Cancell often works together with students on research projects, although this is the first time he's done quite such an extensive project in this way. When I work with students, I believe that it is a collaborative affair.
Students are one of our most underused resources.
Impressed by the quality and scope of the work done by the students and Cancell, the department invited the group back for another larger meeting. Cancell said he wasn't surprised that the group of undergraduates made such an impression on the professional educators. Leavitt, a geography and environmental studies major from Honolulu, thinks students should do more real-world projects like this one. Students do a lot of work and research, but most of it doesn't go out of the classroom. People hire professional consultants for research all the time, while students here are paying tuition to do good research which is often only seen by a couple of others.