undergraduates present research at SURE symposium
38 students conducted research this summer guided by faculty through the Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) program. Now in its 17th year, the program provides ISU students an opportunity to participate in an intensive research experience under the supervision of a faculty member.
This summer, 17 faculty mentors worked with student participants on 29 projects and they presented their research at the SURE Symposium on Thursday. The departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Computer Science, Earth and Environmental Systems, IU School of Medicine – Terre Haute, and Psychology participated in the program.
SURE co-director Dr. Ryan Van HoveIn, said that students interacted with research faculty directly in a structured program across disciplines, and not a lot of universities have this type of program. He said students participating in SURE also gain valuable experiences to help them develop soft skills or interpersonal attributes that they can use no matter their chosen career or life path. The program is open to undergraduates — freshmen through senior years.
One of the participants was incoming sophomore Katherine VanHyfte, a biology and psychology major from Zionsville who thought it a rare opportunity to be able to start research so early in college. She said that this experience exposed her to different types of research and helped her develop skills that will be helpful for the rest of her academic career and beyond.