July 25, 2014
Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program closes with research symposium today
The 20th year of the Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, or SUROP, comes to a close today with a symposium of research presentations. This year’s 13 program participants will give 10-minute talks about their summer research projects. Presentations will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon in 163 Justin Hall. Presentations are open to the public.
The program is coordinated by Kansas State University's Graduate School. Undergraduate students from across the country are paired with K-State faculty members to conduct a nine-week summer research project. Participation in the program provides undergraduate students a firsthand look at the process and excitement of discovery through research. Such experiences are viewed favorably by the admissions committees for graduate and professional schools.
Students participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program spend approximately 40 hours per week working with their research teams. Participants also attend weekly seminars to learn more about the research process, the graduate school experience, professional development, and career opportunities. Several social activities are held throughout the summer that provide opportunities for program participants to interact with the additional 80-100 undergraduate students participating in Research Experience for Undergraduates programs and other summer research programs at K-State.
The 2014 SUROP participants include: Ashton Cheathom, University of Central Arkansas; Taylor Dismuke, Langston University; Lorin Ferris, Wesleyan University; Joseph-Michael Fields, Langston University; Tyler Haddock, Northwest Missouri University; Jessica Jimenez, California State University of Monterey Bay; Dina Lyne, University of Kansas; Cynthya Morales, California State University of Northridge; Hwajin Park, University of Virginia; Dana Robertson, Washington University in St. Louis; Lauriel Stewart, Tuskegee University; Natalie Unruh, Bethel College; and Arianna Vessal, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Faculty mentors include: Christopher Culbertson, chemistry; Jeroen Roelofs, biology; Brad Olson, biology; Christine Aikens, chemistry; Keith Gido, biology; Kathrin Schrick, biology; Michael Young, psychological sciences; Gary Brase, psychological sciences; David Yetter, mathematics; Masaaki Tamura, anatomy and physiology; Kingsly Ambrose, grain science and industry; Loretta Johnson, biology; and Jianhan Chen, biochemistry and molecular biophysics.