Students as Investigators
Updated October 12, 2026 • Culture That Defines the HBCU Experience
What the record shows
North Carolina A&T reported in October 2026 that three undergraduates completed the Harvard Du Bois Scholars program. Their research addressed environmental justice, public health, housing and policy. The work places undergraduate students within a wider research community while connecting academic questions with public concerns.
Why it matters
The cultural significance lies in the role students occupy. They are participating in the production of knowledge, learning to define a problem and support an interpretation with evidence. Mentorship and collaboration can make that work part of a student’s developing professional identity.
Research on a social problem is not the same as solving it. A careful feature recognizes both the students’ achievement and the limits of an individual project. The questions they study nevertheless show how campus learning can reach beyond an examination or a course requirement.
Explore the sources
Read the university’s account for the participants and their project details. This is a completed 2026 experience, not a current application announcement.