2017 SURE Science Scholars

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.

2017 SURE Science Scholars