Category: Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Research Program – Summer 2023

REU Materials Science & Engineering – University of Missouri

The projects of this REU Site focus on understanding and predicting these relationships for micro- and nano-structured materials across a wide spectrum of applications, including sensors, batteries, reactors, and implantable devices. Students in this program learn cutting-edge materials research approaches that include atomistic simulation, coarse-grain modeling, and a suite of materials design / fabrication / characterization techniques. This research will not only advance the science in each unique area, but will provide students with unique, measurable skills in computational modeling, materials science design, processing, characterization, and creative thinking.

We also have several other programs for visiting students. To learn more about those, please visit our MU Undergraduate Research Programs page.

Office of Undergraduate Research

University of Missouri

573-882-5979

ugr@missouri.edu

150 Bond Life Sciences Center

Columbia, MO 65211

REU opportunity @ Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech is inviting applications for the NSF-funded REU site program – TECH SCEnE, this summer. TECH SCEnE is a unique bio-inspired, community-centric STEM program. The program is in collaboration with the Natural resources department at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC). Participants will work with mentors from Michigan Tech and KBIC. Projects offer opportunities for participants to enjoy the beautiful outdoors of the Upper Peninsula. Past projects include water quality testing for heavy metal contamination, smart adhesives for underwater applications, underwater acoustic modems for remote monitoring, simulating daylight for hatcheries, and applications of electrospun nanofibers.

More details about the program can be found on the website: TECH SCEnE REU

Apply for Undergraduate Research Internships

Pavlis Honors College (PHC) is accepting applications to the Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP) for the 2022-2023 academic year. The internship program will run from September 2022 through mid-March 2023 and is open to any undergraduate student on campus with an identified faculty research mentor. Faculty and students who are already working together are welcome to apply.

PHC will provide $800 in funding for the student intern, with the expectation that faculty will provide equivalent matching funds to be dispensed concurrently, resulting in a total of $1,600 paid at a rate of $10/hour over the course of the internship. Faculty may make use of research funds, IRAD, startup packages or consult their chairs, deans or center/institute management to identify the source of their match.

Details regarding the application process can be found on the Pavlis Honors College website.

The deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. Friday, March 25. Faculty need to supply a letter of support as part of the application package. If you have questions about the submission process, please email urip@mtu.edu.

The Undergraduate Research Internship Program is made possible with the support PHC and by generous donations from the Portage Health Foundation and the DeVlieg Foundation.

MTU World Water Day presentation opportunity

The World Water Day (WWD) Committee asks you to keep in mind that 2022 World Water Day will be virtually celebrated at Michigan Tech from  March 17-22 (the events are being planned now). WWD has been celebrated annually at Michigan Tech since 2007. World Water Day events will again include a student Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition instead of a poster competition, because it is a better fit for our virtual format.  KBIC Tribal Water Day and Michigan Tech World Water Day speakers will present on March 22nd.  There will be an  art show, and other virtual student engagement activities. World Water Day is sponsored worldwide by the United Nations—this year’s theme is “Groundwater – Making the invisible visible”

The student 3MT competition has two categories: (1) original student research; and (2) course-based research. There will be student cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for both categories! 

Here is the link to the Google Form students should use to register for the competition. Students must register by Friday, March 4th. Once registered, the WWD Committee will send a second form to which registered students can submit their video and supporting materials, which will be due the week prior to World Water Day (Friday, March 18). Attached to this note is a link to Michigan Tech’s 2020 winning 3MT presentation by Jordan Ewing. This is a great opportunity for students to enhance their skills in presenting and communicating research and coursework to a lay audience, and also an effective way to motivate students to do their best work! If you have any questions, please direct them to Robert Handler (rhandler@mtu.edu).

Seeking Drawdown Scholars for summer 2022!

The Penn State College of Engineering is seeking talented applicants for its Drawdown Scholars program taking place this summer from June 1 – Aug. 4, 2022 on the Penn State University Park campus.*

Commonly seen as the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming, the Drawdown mission seeks to pursue a practical, solutions-oriented path ahead for action on climate change. The Penn State Drawdown Scholars program supports that mission by training students in:

  • Technical, ecological, and social solutions for climate mitigation
  • Climate communication
  • Environmental law and policy
  • Leadership and professional development
  • Team-based project development
  • Global engagement

Drawdown Scholars will be paired with Penn State faculty mentors according to their mutual interests to conduct laboratory, field, and/or modeling research to advance Drawdown strategies for reversing global warming in several topics, including:

  • Electricity
  • Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
  • Industry
  • Transportation
  • Buildings
  • Land Sinks
  • Coastal and Ocean Sinks
  • Engineered Sinks
  • Health and Education
  • Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Program Details

  • Program dates: June 1 – Aug. 4, 2022
  • Student stipend: $600/week
  • On-campus housing provided*
  • Travel reimbursement up to $400*

Encourage Students to Apply!

  • Open to undergraduate students in any major who are interested in Drawdown’s mission to reverse global warming
  • Must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or U.S. territories if not a full-time student at Penn State
  • Must be at least 18 years of age with plans to graduate in December 2022 or later
  • U.S. students from groups traditionally under-represented in STEM, including women, underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ+ students, first-generation college students, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
  • Apply here: https://www.engr.psu.edu/drawdown/apply.aspx

*Please note: This program is planned as an in-person research experience, but the format may shift to virtual or hybrid depending on safety and health regulations pertaining to COVID-19. Updates will be made here. For more information about how Penn State is responding to COVID-19, please visit the University’s website.

Summer Research at Purdue

Greetings from Purdue! 
The application for Summer Undergraduate Research (SURF) at Purdue University is due on Feb 15 (less than 2 weeks)!

Participants receive:

  • $5100 stipend for the 10 week summer research program
  • Present at our end of summer symposium 
  • Professional development seminars to prepare you for graduate school 
  • Additional mentoring and community building activities as part of a growing support network

Don’t forget to check out the Pathways Program, which is a unique SURF cohort experience. This is a paid opportunity for underrepresented students to learn how a graduate degree can prepare you for different career pathways, including being a faculty member, working in a government setting/National Laboratory, Industry, and more! 

The final deadline for SURF is Tuesday Feb 15, 2022. Please contact eur@purdue.edu if you have any SURF related questions. If you have any questions about the Pathways Scholars Program, please email me at jem@purdue.edu and/or review www.engr.purdue.edu/pathways for more information.

Best wishes,
Dr. Jackie McDermott

PS – Check out the Free Early Discovery Mini-Conference at Purdue University in April 2022. If you identify as an underrepresented student in engineering (freshman and sophomores) and interested in learning more about graduate school, then apply to the online Early Discovery mini-conference.  The deadline is March 10, 2022).  Apply here: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Oaef3vKsRi87rM

SURF Applications Due Feb. 11

Applications for 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 11. Fellowship recipients will spend the summer on an individual research project under the guidance of a Michigan Tech faculty mentor.

SURFs are open to all Tech undergraduates who have at least one semester remaining after the summer term. Awards are up to $4,000.

For more information and access to the application materials and instructions, visit the SURF web page or contact Rob Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.

Undergrad Research – University of WI

Summer 2022 – Summer Research Opportunities

Great Lakes Plastic Debris and Microplastics Research (2-3 positions)These positions will support new US EPA, Wisconsin Coastal Management, and NOAA funded projects related to plastic trash removal and research in the Great Lakes. One position will be the boat Captain for the Great Lakes first regional trash boat (i.e., pontoon-type boat that picks-up trash). This position requires boating experience but pay will be significantly increased. The other positions will be deck hands and research assistants that will help with plastic trash removal, characterization, and microplastics research.

Door or Manitowoc County Field Research Assistant (4-5 positions)

These positions support US EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) projects associated with Great Lakes beaches and Door or Manitowoc Counties, WI. The beaches have undergone, reengineering to mitigate microbial and chemical pollution and protect public health. You will conduct field research, operate a local lab facility, and be involved with many aspects of the research projects. Additional compensation may be available for this position.

Salary and Benefits:

For all positions a salary of $4,500-5,000 for the summer (boat Captain will be paid higher rate), paid travel, and paid housing is provided to all interns. You will have the opportunity to learn field and lab techniques, operate a state-certified laboratory, network with professionals in the field, co-author posters and publications, and live in a great part of Wisconsin for the summer.

Call or e-mail Dr. Greg Kleinheinz at kleinhei@uwosh.edu or 920-424-1100 if would like additional information on any of these summer experiences. If you are interested in applying for a position, please send a resume and indicate which position you would be interested in to:

Gregory T. Kleinheinz, R.S., Ph.D.

Personal pronouns – he/him/his

Viessmann Chair of Sustainable Technology

Chair, Department of Engineering & Engineering Technology

University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
800 Algoma Boulevard
Oshkosh, WI  54901
Phone – (920) 424-1100
Fax – (920) 424-0832
E-mail – kleinhei@uwosh.edu

Summer Research @ GLRC – MTU

Graduate or undergraduate summer hourly position – Great Lakes Research Center – Energy, water, and climate change dataset

Seeking a currently enrolled Michigan Tech graduate or upper-level undergraduate student for a summer hourly position to compile Great Lakes datasets on water use and energy (i.e., solar, wind, heating / cooling, and wave energy). The student will work with an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and students that is collecting energy, water, and climate change related datasets during the summer of 2021. The team will discuss and prioritize future research directions in energy-water-climate
nexus issues. Graduate and upper-level undergraduate students will have primary responsibility for identifying, documenting, and compiling relevant datasets which will be used in future research. Applicants should have good attention to detail, some experience in coding, and willingness to learn good data management practices.

Dr. Lenters is an Associate Research Scientist with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) at Michigan Technological University, and he has affiliated positions with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Atmospheric Sciences Program. The project team collaborates with numerous other groups on campus, including the Keweenaw Energy Transitions Laboratory, Advanced Power Systems Laboratory, and departments such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Social Sciences. Applicants should therefore bring a strong technical background along with interest in energy systems and/or interdisciplinary work in environmental science.

Required Background:

  • Currently enrolled as a graduate or undergraduate student at Michigan Tech

Desired background:

  • At least two years of undergraduate education or (preferably) already holding a B.S. in mathematics, physics, engineering, or related field in environmental or data science
  • Good programming and analytical skills (e.g., Matlab, R)
  • Experience with data management and quality control
  • Experience with accessing and using atmospheric and hydrologic datasets, including climate data and model output (e.g., general circulation models).
  • Research or educational experience in climate science, hydrology, and/or energy systems (power plants, commercial buildings, residential buildings, or renewable energy)

We seek students that want to join, support, and promote an inclusive workplace. For more information on related research activities in Dr. Lenters’ lab, please see the MTU faculty/staff directory at the GLRC.

To Apply: Submit a resume or C.V. to Dr. Lenters at jdlenter at mtu.edu. The email should discuss the student’s interest and relevant experience for this position. Hourly salary is negotiable and typically varies from $10-16/hour, depending on the student’s level of education and experience. The anticipated summer work period is May 3 – August 20, with up to 25 hours of work available per week, on average.