Ranked 16th in the U.S. for “most innovative school,” U.S News & World Report recognized Trinity for its focus on undergraduate research and creative projects. According to their website, an up and coming student led initiative, “The Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Affairs,” (UJCA) aims to shed light on contemporary global issues.
They publish undergraduate work in the social sciences and humanities. Currently sponsored by the School of Social Science and Civic Engagement at Trinity, alongside nine other Trinity departments, the journal operates with five members running their editorial staff and six professors making up the advisory board.
Lauren Turek, associate professor of history, is a member of the UJCA advisory board. From her position as a faculty member, Turek said that UJCA offers students an opportunity to publish research that may not be considered elsewhere.
“Not all undergraduates, especially at large schools, get a chance to do research — real research that gets to be published,” Turek said. “Trinity is a really special place that really values undergraduate research, and this is a good way to show that off.”
Turek said that UJCA’s capacious focus allows students to showcase work from all disciplines. Turek spoke on the significance of these types of research being rooted in careful secondary research with a grounding in literature.
“When we as people right now are learning about issues in the world, I think very often we are getting it in very short snippets,” Turek said. “One of the benefits of a rigorously researched paper from a student is that you are getting so much more depth.”
Turek said the act of submitting work to publication is a way for students to challenge themselves by stepping out of their comfort zone. According to her, through the editorial process, anyone can craft a strong public piece that starts conversations and provokes people to ask questions.
“When you submit something to publication, though, you make yourself vulnerable,” Turek said. “By the end, [of the process], you’ve got something that a number of people agree is worthwhile for people to read. You’ve made a compelling argument. You’ve given something new to the world that then can live out there and influence others.”
Jay Salter, senior political science major, serves as the co-editor-in-chief of UJCA. Salter explained that his position involves overseeing the advisory and editorial board and reviewing the first wave of submissions. Salter shared that, as of now, UJCA has received 17 submissions. Some from Trinity students, and others from schools outside of San Antonio, such as the University of Texas at Dallas, Texas A&M University and Baylor University. When discussing the significance behind opening submissions to other Texas schools, Salter said the purpose was to highlight a diverse portfolio of research.
“Whenever you see national research journals, a well representation tends to come from the ivy leagues — the big coastal schools you always hear about, like the Harvards, the Stanfords, UCLA,” Salter said. “There’s obviously a ton of great research that’s done outside of that, so we really wanted to highlight some of that work that goes on in Texas.”
Beyza Yildirim, senior political science major, is co-editor-in-chief of UJCA alongside Salter. As the founder of the organization, Yildirim said that the inspiration behind this journal stemmed from her belief that Trinity was lacking research opportunities for students in the social sciences and humanities.
“This was an idea that I had last fall to bring something to campus that would make research accessible for students, but also give students an opportunity to showcase their work,” Yildrim said. “For those who haven’t done any formal internships or research experiences, this is a good way to put out some of the work you’ve already done for class.”
One requirement for submission to the journal is work about issues from the 1990s to present.
“I think the premise of the social sciences and humanities is discourse and dialogue and building off of previous knowledge production,” Yildirim said. “I think that the best way to be able to do that is to focus on what’s going on currently in the world.”
Yildirim continued on to say it was important for the journal to get insight from undergraduate students, as they have an important say in what happens in the world. When it comes to publication, Yildirim said that she and other members of the journal hope to show everyone has a seat at the table.
UJCA’s inaugural autumn issue will be released this November. More information about UJCA can be found at ujcatrinity.com. For those who are interested in submitting a paper to be considered for publication in UJCA’s spring issue, they can complete the form on UJCA’s website.
