Matewos Endaylalu is on a mission to engage students in research

Matewos Tegete Endaylalu (MS EAI ’27), Carnegie Mellon University Africa student and chair of the Research Club, is on a mission to engage fellow students in research, whether they are writing a paper or applying for a doctoral program. This year Endaylalu and fellow club leaders expanded club services and programs to support students in their research endeavors.

"I have been involved in student activities since I was a kid and was a school monitor," Endaylalu said. "As an undergrad at Addis Ababa University, I was part of the student council. I also am inclined to get my Ph.D., and to do that, you have to do research. So, I was really interested in getting involved with the Research Club."

The club, which is open to all CMU-Africa students and is free to join, currently boasts more than 150 members. Members have published more than 20 papers and are engaged in more than 15 ongoing research projects.

The goals of the club are to promote collaboration between faculty and students on research, make students aware of all of the available resources and support for their research, and raise awareness of opportunities for African researchers.

Endaylalu credits the prior officers of the Research Club for expanding the club's programming, raising the club's visibility by creating a website and a newsletter, and supporting students who want to pursue their Ph.D.s.

For example, when visiting professors give lectures at CMU-Africa, the Research Club invites the professors to have a discussion with members about their work. During this year, two visiting professors met with the club: Xaq Pitkow, from Carnegie Mellon University’s Neuroscience Institute and Roger Levy, professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

One of the challenges for students pursuing research or their Ph.D.s is learning how to read a large volume of research papers, Matewos said. To support students, the club meets once a week for 10 weeks to review and discuss one paper a week, giving students the opportunity to read and interpret papers.

The club also recently hosted its annual research showcase, which encourages students to compete for prizes by submitting research projects, practicums, and capstone projects.

The club invites students who have participated in pre-doctoral events to share their experiences and supports students by providing a listing on its website of current opportunities to publish and present research.

"Research assistant jobs are opening up at CMU-Africa because of new labs, and the Research Club is becoming more popular as students find that they are encouraged and supported by the club," Endaylalu said.

Currently, Matewos is a research assistant with one of CMU-Africa's health labs and is applying for summer research internships. He is interested in pursuing his Ph.D. after graduating next year.

"The Research Club offers students a wealth of resources and support, through events, lectures, the research showcase, paper reading, and through the newsletter. I think this all adds up to meaningful support for both members of the Research Club and all CMU-Africa students," Endaylalu said.