Alums Offer Undergrad Research Opportunities
Bob and Brenda Good
As undergraduate students at UNI, 1974 alums Bob (biology) and Brenda (mathematics) Good both participated in research, and agreed that the experience was life-changing—guiding their future careers and successes.
"During my time at UNI, I was very fortunate to be involved in undergraduate research," Bob says. "As a junior and senior, I was provided a research lab and office. By the time I graduated, I had already published a handful of scientific papers and national presentations."
Brenda was also involved in research, providing statistical and programming support for Bob's research projects. The couple later married and now celebrate more than 47 years as a team.
Bob has gone on to a career as a practicing physician—clinical professor at Carle Illinois College of Medicine and chief medical officer for Health Alliance Medical Plans and Carle Population Health at Carle Health System in Urbana, Illinois. His experiences at UNI helped him build a strong foundation centered around research and scientific discovery.
Now, the Goods are making sure that current UNI students have access to the same life-changing opportunities.
For the past decade, the couple has funded the Dr. Robert & Brenda Good Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Biology, which provides UNI undergraduate students a stipend to support them in research projects with a faculty mentor. The partnership gives students real-world experience in research and builds connections that last a lifetime.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of many of this summer's research opportunities for students, Bob decided to personally offer a project. After conferring with Theresa Spradling, head of the UNI Department of Biology, student Abby Weekley was chosen to join Bob on a research project on hypertension.
"I have high expectations, and Abby has been just excellent," Bob says. "She's an undergrad doing graduate-level research and is really excelling. She has a great base of knowledge to add to the work."
Bob says as an undergrad at UNI, it was this very type of work that helped him develop the skills and experiences that helped him succeed.
"When Brenda and I were at UNI, we had so many great professors and mentors who gave us the time and space to learn and experiment, he says. "It was those experiences that have helped us so much throughout our careers. That's why it's always been a goal of ours to give back and help current students have those same experiences."
The couple plans to help students long into the future. They have included their fellowship in their estate plans to ensure future undergraduate researchers have the support needed to prepare for careers in scientific discovery.
"The leaders of tomorrow are today's young people, and that's why it's so important to give them the opportunities that enable them to do big things," Bob says. "It's especially great to be a part of that."
Like the Goods, you can help provide vital educational opportunities with a gift to the UNI Foundation in your estate plans. To learn how, please contact Jane Halverson at (319) 273-4665 or jane.halverson@uni.edu.