Student Impact

The Research through Inclusive Opportunities (RIO) program, run by the Office of Undergraduate Research at Cal Poly Pomona, is designed for such students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in research. It targets sophomores and first-year transfer students. The foremost goals of RIO are to provide underrepresented students with research experience and to foster a greater interest in research.

In addition to the main goals of fostering interest in research and providing research experience to students, the RIO program has a list of objectives that it seeks to fulfill, which include increasing students’ sense of belonging in the Cal Poly Pomona community, creating an environment that is conducive to research development, educating students about the research/creative projects process, and assessing students’ individual struggles and stories over the academic year. To gauge how effectively the RIO program has met these objectives over the 2020-21 year, an evaluation was performed in April 2021, which includes a survey completed by RIO students.

Read Full Report (PDF)

Results of evaluation:

All students felt that both OUR and RIO staff provided them with the necessary support and guidance.
Nearly all students (96.8%) said that they would recommend the RIO program for incoming students.
A majority of students (96.8%) felt that RIO helped create a sense of belonging for them.
Most students (93.5%) felt that their participation in RIO helped them connect to the campus community.
Most students (87.1%) felt that RIO encouraged them to participate more in their classes.
Most students (93.5%) felt much more confident in their research writing and how to set up and present their projects at future conferences.
Most students (96.8%) understand the process of research or creative activities.
80.7% of students agreed that RIO encouraged them to think about their own culture and identity.
80.2% of students felt that the activities in RIO encouraged them to reflect about other cultures.