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Foreword	
  to	
  first	
  issue	
  of	
  the	
  Aresty	
  Undergraduate	
  Research	
  Journal	
  	
  
	
  
A	
  unique	
  resource	
  for	
  the	
  Rutgers	
  University	
  community,	
  the	
  Aresty	
  Research	
  Center	
  promotes	
  
the	
  integral	
  value	
  of	
  research	
  in	
  undergraduate	
  education.	
  	
  
This	
  inaugural	
  issue	
  of	
  the	
  journal	
  expands	
  the	
  scope	
  of	
  research	
  activities	
  the	
  Center	
  offers	
  to	
  
Rutgers	
  undergraduates	
  to	
  include	
  the	
  peer-­‐reviewed	
  publication	
  process	
  –	
  a	
  crucial	
  element	
  of	
  
any	
  structured	
  research	
  activity.	
  Students	
  can	
  engage	
  with	
  the	
  journal	
  in	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  roles	
  that	
  
all	
  professional	
  researchers	
  take	
  at	
  different	
  times	
  –	
  those	
  of	
  the	
  authors	
  of	
  scholarly	
  
publications,	
  those	
  of	
  peer	
  reviewers	
  who	
  ensure	
  the	
  quality	
  and	
  soundness	
  of	
  the	
  published	
  
work,	
  and	
  those	
  of	
  editors	
  who	
  coordinate	
  the	
  review	
  process.	
  	
  
	
  
It	
  is	
  gratifying	
  to	
  see	
  this	
  innovative	
  concept	
  come	
  to	
  fruition	
  in	
  the	
  Fall	
  of	
  2020.	
  
Seeded	
  by	
  the	
  concept	
  developed	
  by	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  students	
  and	
  driven	
  forward	
  by	
  their	
  
enthusiasm;	
  shepherded	
  through	
  the	
  stages	
  of	
  	
  development	
  through	
  trials,	
  and	
  some	
  
inevitable	
  errors,	
  by	
  the	
  Aresty	
  Center	
  staff;	
  enthusiastically	
  supported	
  by	
  research	
  and	
  
academic	
  administrators;	
  and	
  made	
  possible	
  in	
  its	
  final	
  form	
  by	
  the	
  investment	
  of	
  personnel	
  
and	
  resources	
  by	
  Rutgers	
  University	
  Libraries,	
  the	
  journal	
  is	
  an	
  excellent	
  example	
  of	
  what	
  is	
  
possible	
  at	
  this	
  great	
  public	
  research	
  university.	
  
	
  
Tireless	
  efforts	
  by	
  students	
  Prachi	
  Srivastava	
  and	
  Frederic	
  Kelada,	
  patient	
  guidance	
  by	
  the	
  
Aresty	
  Center	
  Director	
  Tamiah	
  Brevard,	
  open-­‐minded	
  support	
  by	
  Dean	
  Susan	
  Lawrence,	
  
creative	
  input	
  from	
  the	
  Learning	
  Centers	
  Director	
  Stacey	
  Blackwell,	
  and	
  deep	
  understanding	
  of	
  
the	
  publishing	
  process	
  both	
  intellectual	
  and	
  practical	
  by	
  librarians	
  Lily	
  Todorinova	
  and	
  Rhonda	
  
Marker	
  were	
  all	
  crucial	
  for	
  making	
  this	
  new	
  Aresty	
  Center	
  initiative	
  a	
  success.	
  
	
  
Congratulations,	
  and	
  with	
  great	
  hopes	
  for	
  the	
  future	
  of	
  this	
  endeavor,	
  
	
  
Vadim	
  Levin	
  
Faculty	
  Director	
  of	
  the	
  Aresty	
  Research	
  Center	
  
Professor,	
  Earth	
  and	
  Planetary	
  Sciences,	
  
Rutgers	
  University-­‐New	
  Brunswick	
  


