2017 SURE Science Scholars

May 16, 2017

The College of Science congratulates its 2017 SURE Science scholars who have received $5,500 each, for a total of $170,500! The SURE Science program offers students summer research opportunities across campus that can foster meaningful, scholarly connections early in their academic careers and help define their professional career path.

SURE Science is a program supported through the Undergraduate Research Frontiers Fund with generous philanthropic contributions from friends and alumni of the College. This year, thanks to the generous support of alumni and friends, the College was able to fund 31 undergraduate students, with an overall funding rate of 54%. The students, about 65 percent of whom are minority and first-generation college students, will receive $5,500 to conduct full-time summer research.

The College was able to support a broader range of majors this year with students from biochemistry and biophysics, biology, mathematics, microbiology and physics.

SURE Science supports students seeking a research experience to complement their academic experience. They spend their summer actively engaged in research while working alongside faculty for an engaging, hands-on learning experience. They conduct research that may solve societal problems and even contribute to the creation of new scientific knowledge.

New this year, students will participate in an information session to learn how to identify interesting research opportunities on campus and how to connect with faculty on a professional level. SURE Scholars will also attend three professional development workshops on:

Team dynamics
Scientific writing and presentations
Informal scientific communication

Students benefit tremendously by applying what they learned in the classroom to actual problems. By actively engaging in research, students gain valuable experience to help them prepare for graduate or professional school as well as to enhance their qualifications and build their resumes. They also gain valuable career skills through teamwork, collaboration, and public speaking, which they practice when they present their work in a professional setting at the College of Science Fall Awards.

This summer, SURE Science scholars will work alongside faculty in areas such as:

Analytical chemistry research to measure persistent organic pollutants in whale scat
Biochemistry protein quality control mechanisms and its role in aging
Computational astrophysics project modeling hydrodynamic protostellar star-disk systems using linear and non-linear methods
Synthesis of key compounds to explore the scope of a new organocatalyst in pharmaceutical drug preparation

Students are being hosted in labs across campus, including the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Botany and Plant Pathology, Chemistry, Food Science, Integrated Biology, Kinesiology, Microbiology, Pharmacy, Physics and in the College of Veterinary Medicine.