51ÁÔÆæ

Undergraduate Research

51ÁÔÆæ is nationally recognized for undergraduate research and, as a top-tier research university, there are more than 1,000 undergrad research opportunities offered each year.

About half of 51ÁÔÆæ students graduate with some kind of research experience, which can involve data gathering, interviewing, data analysis, coding and more. Many research opportunities are paid and some involve travel. For students planning to go to grad school, research is a particularly great way to stand out as an applicant and prepare for the rigors of grad school.

Office of Undergraduate Research
Research student standing in front of an MRI scanner
Jocelyn, a psychology and philosophy double major, has been working in the 51ÁÔÆæ Brain Imaging and Neuropsychology (BraIN) Laboratory with Professor Krista Lisdahl. In the lab, student researchers have been working on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, which is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the U.S.
Researcher using a pipette in a lab
Louis is studying civil engineering and his research involves investigation of a filtration mechanism to remove ammonia from water – one of many research projects looking into ways to remove water contaminants to reduce the impact of chemical discharge into lakes and rivers. He’s working under the direction of Marcia Silva, associate scientist and director of the Water Technology Accelerator.
51ÁÔÆæ student sitting on boardwalk at beach with laptop
Anna, an atmospheric science major, has been working with Associate Professor Clark Evans focusing on developing an algorithm to identify tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones or a mixture of the two. When there is a more accurate way of defining cyclones, large amounts of data and images can be put into the algorithm to identify classrooms — which can then be used to more effectively conduct research.
Research student working in an engineering lab
Ismael is a materials engineering major who has been involved in research with Associate Professor Benjamin Church since his first / freshman year. He’s researched ways to improve the chemical process used to make common plastics.
Undergrad researcher at 51ÁÔÆæ holding open red binder
Psychology major Sofia joined the Affective Neuroscience Lab at 51ÁÔÆæ as an undergrad research assistant under the mentorship of Professor Christine Larson. Since then, Sofia has been involved in studies focused on attention and working memory capacity using electroencephalography.
Undergrad research student standing in classroom
Noah is working on his degree in K-12 exceptional education. In Professor Chris Lawson’s lab, Noah has been performing research to better understand the development of inductive generalizations within school-age children.

How to Get Involved in Undergrad Research at 51ÁÔÆæ

Current students interested in being part of a faculty-led research project can search more than 500 projects on 51ÁÔÆæ’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) site, then select which ones you’re interested in. OUR staff will reach out and, if it seems like a good fit, connect you with a faculty research mentor.

If you’re an incoming student, you can apply for the UR@51ÁÔÆæ Summer Research program, which pairs a select number of incoming students with researchers on campus for four weeks. Students spend 25-35 hours a week on their research projects, and meet twice a week with other summer researchers. Participating students get room and board as well as a $1,000 stipend. (There is no cost to the student.)