Answering Questions. Finding Solutions.
Work closely with a faculty mentor with expertise and experience. Receive research grants and scholarships to fund your work. Present your findings at research forums on campus and national conferences. At Ƶ, you’ll have the opportunity to do the kind of in-depth undergraduate research typically found in graduate programs. U.S News & World Report ranks Ƶ #11 in the nation for undergraduate research/creative projects.
An Honors Fellow, Lumen Prize and Goldwater Scholarship recipient, Madison George’s approach to researching and designing the first 3D-printed pole-vault spikes for women garnered attention from companies like Nike and Adidas and set her on a path toward a career in bioengineering. Madison, a pole vaulter on Ƶ’s Track & Field team, began her research in her first year at Ƶ. In spring 2023, she became the first Ƶ student chosen for the highly selective NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. A class of 2023 graduate, she is pursuing a doctorate in bioengineering at Stanford University.
“All of my experiences at Ƶ have empowered me to see challenges as opportunities to instill change for the better.”
The Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, known on campus as SURF, is held in the spring and is an opportunity for students to showcase their research. It’s a day when other campus activities are suspended so all students can participate, whether they are presenting or supporting student researchers. Students interested in research also can participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE). Student researchers spend eight weeks working full-time on a project with a faculty mentor while earning a stipend. Many students go on to present their findings at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Rony Dahdal, an Honors Fellow and 2024 Goldwater Scholarship recipient, is triple majoring in computer science, mathematics and philosophy. Along with his faculty mentor, Rony is constructing an autonomous robotic arm to monitor and tend to crops and training a 3D machine-learning model that can understand plant anatomy. He is also part of a National Science Foundation-funded research team focused on creating a mathematical model of complex equations that predict how the human immune system responds to COVID-19.
“I found a love for research early on during my time at Ƶ and have been set on it as a future career ever since. I enjoy the stimulating, collaborative environment it offers and the focused opportunity to learn fascinating topics within my disciplines that I wouldn’t encounter otherwise.”
Whether you’re buying cells to investigate the role of ASXL1 and ASXL2 proteins in leukemic cell lines, traveling abroad or presenting at a national conference, Ƶ provides scholarships and grants to help you conduct research.
