July 2, 2008

Purdue offers intensive research program for undergraduate students

The program aims to increase the number of talented undergraduates from underrepresented groups who decide to pursue graduate education and research careers, said Jon Story, associate dean of the Graduate School and program director.

"Throughout the summer, students involved in the program will get an idea of what graduate school is like and will gain valuable research experience in their chosen area of study," Story said. "Students come from different universities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and are doing research projects in a variety of disciplines.

"We try to encourage the students to continue their educations through graduate and doctoral programs. The students learn about the different opportunities they would have with doctorates, such as careers in academia, industry and government."

The Big Ten's Committee on Institutional Cooperation oversees the program, which also is offered at each of the Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago.

Participants are selected based on their interest in pursuing a doctoral degree, relevant college coursework and grades, letters of recommendation, and their ability to contribute to the program.

Students are involved in research areas from a number of disciplines including chemical engineering, biological sciences, management and marketing, biochemistry, applied mathematics, biomedicine, environmental science, chemistry, psychological sciences, remote sensing, computer science, history, early childhood education, political science, English, sociology, pharmacy, business, agricultural and animal sciences, and physics.

At the end of the program, students will prepare abstracts summarizing their research, present an oral report and participate in a poster session.

On July 25 and 26, students will attend the Big Ten's Committee on Institutional Cooperation's Summer Research Opportunity Program at Michigan State University, where approximately 570 students in similar programs at Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago will gather.

At the conference, students will participate in a series of workshops, listen to oral research presentations by graduate students who have gone through the programs, and show their own and view other students' findings at a poster session.

The Summer Research Opportunity Program has its roots in the Purdue MARC/AIM programs or Minority Access to Research Careers and Access Internally for Minorities, which began in the early 1980s. Those two programs both offered summer research opportunities to students from underrepresented social or economic backgrounds, but on a smaller scale with fewer research options, Story said.

"Since its founding, 79 former students from the Purdue program have gone on to earn their doctoral degree, with many of those students deciding to attend Purdue," Story said. "Their degrees range from comparative literature to neuroscience. Nearly 400 Purdue faculty have served as research mentors to these students throughout the years, and without their dedication, this program could not succeed."

Now the program has expanded to also offer Graduate Record Examinations preparation workshops, evening meetings on topics pertaining to graduate school, field trips, special meals and social functions, Story said. The program is funded by Purdue under the sponsorship of the Graduate School, with additional contributions from the colleges of Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Pharmacy and Science, the Purdue Cancer Center and from industry.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Jon Story, (765) 494-6963, jastory@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Students participating in the Summer Research Opportunity Program are available for interviews or photos. To make arrangements, contact Christy Jones, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu  or Jon Story, associate dean of the Graduate School and program director, (765) 494-6963, jastory@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page