Saint Louis University’s (SLU) Research, Innovation and Sustainable Extension Center (RISE Center) opened Academic Year 2026–2027 with renewed directions for strengthening the University’s culture of research, innovation, and community engagement during its meeting on 24 August 2026 at Discussion Room 1, Fifth Floor Msgr. Charles Vath Library Building, SLU Main Campus.
RISE Center Director Richel Lamadrid, DAES, opened the meeting and welcomed members of the RISE Center and the Undergraduate Research Coordinators (UGRICs) representing the different schools of the University. The gathering provided a venue to align research and extension directions, clarify updated processes, and discuss opportunities for strengthening faculty and student participation in the University’s research, innovation, and sustainable extension initiatives.
Following the opening, Vice President for Academic Affairs Felina Espique, PhD, shared the University’s expectations for research and emphasized the importance of studies that respond to institutional, disciplinary, and societal needs. Among the directions discussed was the recommendation to consider tracer studies as potential departmental research topics, with department heads encouraged to identify and mentor studies that can generate meaningful information on graduate outcomes and contribute to program development. The value of research colloquia and symposiums was also highlighted, particularly in providing faculty and students with venues to present their work, engage in scholarly exchange, receive feedback, and disseminate research beyond the completion of academic requirements.
Building on these directions, Laarni Natividad, PhD, presented updates to the undergraduate research guidelines, emphasizing greater student exposure to the complete research process and the continuing role of Faculty Research and Innovation Promoters (FRIPs) as mentors and research lecturers. FRIPs are expected to help develop source topics, guide student teams, and work toward research outputs that can be developed into publishable manuscripts. The updated directions also emphasized journal submission or intellectual property as expected pathways for completed research, while providing guidelines on research team composition, the number of teams handled by FRIPs, and the documentation and reporting processes for undergraduate research.
Strengthening the responsible conduct of research, Rainier Lacalle, PhD, presented updates from the Research Ethics Committee (REC) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The new directions reinforced the importance of appropriate ethical review for research involving human participants and, when applicable, research involving animals. The discussion also covered mandatory research ethics review for undergraduate research, the required validation of research instruments when applicable, and the use of an online submission system to help streamline the review process. These measures further integrate research ethics and responsible research practices into student formation and help ensure that ethical considerations remain an essential part of conducting and disseminating research across the University.
The meeting then shifted toward innovation and research translation, with Engr. Melissa Boado presenting updates from the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office (ITTO). Discussions highlighted intellectual property (IP) disclosure, school-based IP clinics, and pathways toward technology transfer, providing researchers with mechanisms for identifying and protecting potentially innovative outputs. During the broader discussion, Engr. Boado also raised the question of how expected research outcomes align with tracer studies, particularly in disciplines such as engineering where some prescribed outputs may not directly correspond to the nature of tracer research. The exchange emphasized the importance of ensuring that research pathways, outcomes, and deliverables remain responsive to the characteristics and objectives of different types of studies.
Completing the meeting’s major updates, Jeramie Molino, PhD discussed directions for sustainable extension and its connection with student research. Among the initiatives highlighted was the tracking of student research inspired by existing extension programs, allowing needs, challenges, and experiences identified through community engagement to provide potential foundations for undergraduate studies. This linkage creates opportunities for real community concerns to stimulate research and evidence based solutions, while resulting knowledge and innovations may ultimately contribute back to partner communities.
Together with upcoming research and innovation activities, including research workshops, iCREATE 2027, the 2nd SLU International Conference, and support for research publication and conference presentations, these directions reflect the RISE Center’s continuing effort to connect research, ethics, animal welfare, innovation, intellectual property, and sustainable extension toward meaningful academic and societal impact. Such initiatives strengthens the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly 4 (Quality Education), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). (Article by L. Natividad | Photos by the RISE Center)
